Not What She Expected
by FireFox1313
Summary: After the car crash that killed her parents, Wendy White moves to England to live with a grandfather she didn't know existed. At Wammy's, she meets friends who filled her life with adventure and romance. But when tragedy strikes the House, everyone is thrown off course, into their own directions. What will happen to her life after Wammy's? Will life ever be normal for her?
1. Welcome To Wammy's

_Author's Note: I'm back and bringing another awesome story into your lives! Hehe… XD It's not gonna be about the Kira case for awhile but I will get there! For now, all the situations are from my imagination. Enjoy_

 _*I_ _do not_ _own Death Note or any of it's characters_

* * *

 **PART 1**

 **Flashback:**

" _Sing it for the boys, sing it for the girls. Every time that you lose it sing it for the world!_

 _Sing it from the heart, sing it til you're nuts! Sing it out for the ones that'll hate your guts!_

 _Sing it for the deaf, sing it for the blind. Sing about everyone that you left behind!_

 _Sing it for the world, sing it for the world!"_

 _As the song ended, laughter echoed through the car. "Now that's a song I haven't heard in forever," chuckled my mother. She was a true MCR fan at heart._

 _My dad's belly shook as he laughed. It reminded me of Santa in those Christmas specials on t.v._

" _You sure loved that song, didn't you Katy." He wasn't like my mother and I, loving MCR and every other emo song out there. But he did sing along, mostly because he loved seeing the smile on my mother's face. That's what he use to tell me._

" _Always, Lawrence, I always will." Her smile lifted our spirits as we headed home. We were going to a baseball game, but it got rained out before we could get there._

 _Driving down the road, rain pounded harder causing it more and more difficult to see. Mom squinted her eyes as she gripped the steering wheel._

" _Hey Wendy, wanna help me make brownies when we get home. You know, to make up for the baseball game." My mother always knew how to make us feel better._

" _I'd loved to!" I smiled as Dad chuckled._

" _While you two are doing that, I'll see if we can find a baseball game on t.v that's not rained out," Dad said. Him and his baseball games, can never go a day without watching one. I smiled at the thought._

" _Don't worry Dad, I'm sure we'll find one," I laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Squeezing it, he gazed out the window._

" _I love you Wendy," he said._

" _Me too," Mom chimed in. She looked at me through the rearview mirror, eyes twinkling. Mom always said I was an optimist, always looking for an upside._

" _I love you guys, too. I always wi-"_

 _CRASH! A truck came roaring down the wrong side on the road, hitting us straight on._

 **End of Flashback***

The doctors told me it was a miracle I'd survived. _Yeah, it's a miracle for me, a thirteen year old, to live while my parents died. At least they're in heaven now…_

I sat quietly in my plane seat, gazing out the window. The clouds drifted around us, like fluffy cushions. I really wanted to reach my hand out the window and touch one. Maybe even lay on one and watch the stars at night. Of course, none of that was possible.

England was a long ways from Minnesota. America, that is. It was hard enough losing my parents just a couple days ago. Now I have to move across the world to a grandfather I didn't even know existed. I thought my parents were the only ones left in my family.

In the airport, I gripped the handle of my rolling blue suitcase. The only things in here were some clothes, pictures of my parents and me, and some other personal items. The rest Grandfather said he would provide for me.

Tapping my feet impatiently, I looked frantically around me. No sign of an old man standing alone. _How wonderful. He's late._

Just as I turned to go to a clerk at a nearby desk, an elderly voice spoke beside me. "Wendy? Wendy White?" Turning around, I saw a grey haired old man with glasses. He was wearing a suit and a brown hat.

As he said my name, I nodded. Holding out my hand, I thanked him. "Thank you, sir, for taking me in." Shaking my hand, he chuckled, sounding just like my mother. Tears were forming in my eyes at the thought of her and Dad.

The old man noticed, then he pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered. I sniffled.

"I'm sorry too."

* * *

In the limo (I couldn't believe he has a limo!), I relaxed in the passenger seat. Glancing at him, I tilted my head. "What should I call you? Grandfather, sir, old man, gramps, oh great and powerful grandpa…?" Giving me a side glance, he chuckled and shook his head.

"No my dear. None of that is really necessary. Just call me Wammy. That is my last name; Quillish Wammy." I nodded. _Quillish Wammy? Sounded interesting._

Arriving at a church like building, I pulled my suitcase out of the backseat. Kids were outside playing and laughing together. Some were swinging and playing in the flowers. There were kids of all ages and sizes. Wammy said it wouldn't be hard for me to find a friend here. Here at Wammy's House.

On the top floor, Wammy brought me to my room. It wasn't too small, but it wasn't too big either. In the middle… cozy.

Throwing my suitcase on my bed, I started unpacking after Wammy left. On a dresser I put all my photos of my parents and me. Then I tucked away the photo album in a drawer.

Hanging my clothes, which wasn't much, in my closet, I noticed an envelope on my bed that I hadn't noticed before. Opening it up, I realized there was money in it. And a note: "Please use for clothes and other necessities. -Wammy." I smiled at my grandfather's generosity. Now I know where my mother got it from.

Deciding that I'd ask him to take me to town later, I placed the envelope in my photo album for safe keeping.

The clock rang. It was supper time. After brushing my hair, I rushed down the stairs. At the bottom, I turned a sharp corner. Only to crash into someone and fall to the ground.

"Ah!" I yelped. After a moment, I looked over at the other person. It was a boy my age with black shaggy hair. And red eyes. I quickly noticed the red eyes.

Picking myself up, I held a hand towards the boy. "Need help?"

With a scowl, he brushed my hand away. "No thanks," he said, with a sharp tone in his voice. "I'm not helpless." Slowly, he got up from the wooden floor.

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't say you were."

Again, he scowled. As he turned to walk away, I called behind him. "I like your eyes. They're cool." Before he could respond, I walked away, into the lunch hall.

* * *

I stood, clutching my tray, wondering where to sit. _Maybe I'll just sit in a corner like I did that one year at camp._ Camp was rough. Everyone but me had friends there. Just like here.

But before I could reach the corner, a hand seized my arm and yanked me into a seat. At the table was the kid I'd ran into earlier. _This is not what I expected._

"Hey, you like jam?" he asked me.

"Yeah, but only strawberry. Grape tastes disgusting." He smirked. Digging his fingers into a jar of it, he devoured the jam. _Obsessed much?_

Across the table sat another boy. "Hey," I said.

"Hey," he said back.

Rolling his eyes, the boy next to me gulped down his jam. "Let's get introductions over with." Pointing at the kid across from me he said, "That's A," then he pointed at himself, "and I'm B. You can call me BB if you want though."

I nodded. "I'm We-" A paused me.

"Don't tell us your real name. Just an alias." I blinked at him. He shrugged. "You look new so I wasn't sure if you knew."

"Oh, um, thanks for telling me." Wammy did tell me something about it in the limo, but I didn't pay much attention. I thought a moment. When I created my new name, I smiled. "I'm Winter Wonderland." B nodded approvingly.

"So, Winter, where are you from?" A asked.

"America."

"Do they have jam in America?" B asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Duh."

I spent the whole supper eating and talking with A and B. They were pretty cool, for a pair of boys.

"Uh, there's also one more thing you should know about me," I told them. They leaned closer. "I'm Wammy's granddaughter."

"What? No way! I didn't know he had a granddaughter," B exclaimed, mouth full of jam.

"To be honest, I didn't even know I had a grandfather until my parents died, just a few days ago." A nodded sympathetically.

"It gets better, don't worry." With a smile he added, "Besides, you've only been here for an hour and you've already made two friends."

My eyes twinkled with hope. "Really? You mean it?" A nodded with a smile. Glancing at B, I bit my lip.

Swallowing the rest of his jam, he sighed. "Whatever. But you're not getting any of my jam." A and I laughed.

Suddenly, a door to the lunch hall creaked open. A girl around my age slid through. Same length as my blonde hair, she had orange/ginger hair and green eyes. The girl was wearing a red shirt and jeans.

"Hey, who's that?" whispered B.

I shook my head. "No idea."

"Must be new," added A.

"Well," I said, standing up, "I'm going to talk to her." B and A watched me silently as I got up and walked over to her. She held her hands behind her back, and I thought she was holding something. Ignoring it, I stood in front of her.

"Hello. I'm Winter. I'm new here too so I was wondering if y-"

With a devilish smirk, she shoved a piece of cake that was hidden behind her back right in my face. With a laugh, she yelled throughout the lunch room. "Food fight!" The whole room erupted.

* * *

 _lol Thanks for reading!_


	2. Midnight Mischief

_Hope you like it!_

* * *

The whole room erupted. Food was flying in every direction. Wiping the cake off my face, I growled at the girl. With a defiant smirk, she ran to a table and began chucking food like crazy. B was huddled in his chair, clutching his jars of jam. Calmly, A sat and observed the entire thing without getting a smidge of food on him. Amusement filled his eyes.

Suddenly, an angry man burst through the doors. Pushing me aside, he marched into the middle of the room. Shouting at the kids, he tried to get them to stop, but that only got him a glob of potatoes on his head.

The moment Quillish Wammy entered, the room fell silent. Kids slammed back down in their seats, all except the new girl. I glared at her. She glared at me.

Grouchy Pants strided over to Wammy and pointed at the new girl. " _That_ little girl needs to explain herself."

Wammy looked between them. "Very well. Roger, please escort Cinder to my office." Glancing at me he added, "I will be there in a moment." As Roger pulled Cinder behind him and left the hall, kids resumed talking and eating like usual.

Walking over to me, Wammy pulled out a handkerchief. Handing it to me, I wiped the cake off my face. Giving it back to him, I smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome. So, what happened here?" Listening intently, I explained what happened. When I was done, he nodded. "I see. Cinder Crimson has a very strong personality."

"How could you tell," I mumbled sarcastically.

"I hope you make her feel welcome," he said.

I stared at Wammy in confusion. "Me? But why?"

"Because you both are new here and could use some friends."

"Actually, sir, Winter already has friends." A approached us. He slung his right arm around my shoulder. Wammy raised his eyebrow. Then, B slung his left arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah, she's cool," he murmured. I laughed and squeezed them both. Wammy sighed.

"Ah, I knew this would happen. Wen- um, Winter _is_ very beautiful. I can see why you boys want to be friends with her." He chuckled.

Growing red with embarrassment, B and A pulled away. "Uh, no sir. It's not like that! We just-"

"I'm only joking. Run along now you three. Go have some fun." With one last smile, Wammy turned around and left.

Looking at me, B smirked. "You heard the old man. Let's go have some fun!" Both boys dragged me by my arms. Just before we got outside, I noticed a figure at the end of a hall. The only thing I saw before it disappeared was it's black spiky hair.

* * *

Fresh air greeted me. It was hot today, but I knew that weather wouldn't last long. It was the beginning of September.

Outside, B and A lead me to a fountain. Rolling up our jeans, we waded in the water. Splashing each other, B tipped over and fell underwater. With a smirk, he grabbed me and pulled me down with him. I did the same to A. They splashed each other while I grabbed a bucket from the garden. Filling it with water, I dumped it on their heads, only for them to fill it again and dump it on me. After an hour of this, Roger came and dragged the three of us into Wammy's office.

"This is a disgrace! It's an outrage! These impish kids acted carelessly!" We sat in chairs behind him, covered in towels. While he was ranting on to Wammy, I snuck across him and grabbed a sharpie and a sticky note. Writing "Kick this baka" with an arrow on the sticky note, I gently placed it on his back without him noticing.

Meanwhile, A and B were laughing like lunatics. Finally I gave in and joined too. Not even Wammy could hold it in, letting out a chuckle or two.

Finally Roger stormed out, furious that no one was taking him seriously.

 **Later that night…**

I had a bad dream, about the car crash and my parents. I awoke to the feeling of loneliness again. Alone in my room, I thought about my new friends. Maybe I wasn't as lonely as I thought I was.

Since I couldn't sleep, I slipped on my slippers and wandered the halls. It was the dead of night, so I doubt anyone but me was up. Just as planned…

After awhile of searching, I made my way to Wammy's office. Beside it was his room. Sneaking in, I saw him laying in his bed, softly snoring. Kissing him on the forehead, I whispered "good night" then left.

Down the hall I discovered Roger's room. Tracing back to the kitchen, I retrieved a bottle from the fridge. Slowly and quietly, I spread the chocolate syrup all over Rodger's bed. Then I poured some on his face. Snoring obnoxiously, he continued to sleep. I know it might seem cruel to some people, but hasn't anyone ever heard of a water? It won't be too hard to wash it all off.

Next, I just started wandering. Wasn't looking for anything in particular, just wanted to see what this place was like.

On the highest floor, I snuck down the hall where my room was located. I froze when I saw a figure creeping my way. The figure must have saw me because it stopped. Squinting, I realized who it really was.

"Cinder?" I whispered loudly. "What are you doing?"

"Winter," she said cooly. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Crossing my arms, I walked forward. Meeting her at the end of the hallway, I huffed. "I'm exploring."

She folded her arms too. "Yeah, me too."

With a sigh, I shrugged. "Find anything interesting?"

Cinder rolled back her head. "No, this place is so boring! There's no one cool here." I put my hands on my hips. Scanning me, she shrugged.

"Well, I found some cool friends. B and A. They said they're L's successors." During supper, they both told me A was first, and B was second in line to succeed L. I asked them who L was, because I was new. "A genius," said A. "Smartest kid ever." B sided with him. "He's never been seen except by Rodger and Wammy. Rumor has it that he never comes out of his room." _This L kid sounds very interesting. I hope to meet him someday. Oh, that's right; he never comes out of his room._

"Oh, really?" Cinder shrugged. "I guess that's cool." Looking at the floor, she rubbed the back of her neck. "So, is B the one with the red eyes and cute black hair?"

I laughed. "Oooh, someone's got a crush!" Narrowing her eyes, I laughed again. "Yeah, he is."

She nodded casually. "That's cool…"

A moment of awkward silence drifted between us. With a snicker, I cleared my throat. "BB and Cinder sittin' in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes-"

"Grr! Shut up!" Cinder shoved a hand over my mouth. I licked it. Pulling back, she gagged. "Gross, you idiot!"

"You know what you need?"

"An aspirin?"

"No."

"The next flight out of here?"

"No."

"Jam?"

"No."

Cinder huffed. "Then what?"

"A hug!" I ran towards her and squeezed her tightly. Growling, she struggled to push away, but my grasp was too tight.

"Let go of me you psycho!" Twisting and turning, she struggled to push me off. Holding my grip, I kept on. Finally, she sighed in defeat. "I didn't want to have to do this but you leave me no choice…" Lifting up her leg, she kicked me in the stomach.

I winced with pain. Brushing it away, I slapped her hard on the cheek. The slap sounded excruciating. As she winced in pain, I prepared to block.

Lunging onto me, we strangled each other. Pulling, shoving, pushing, holding, slapping, and shaking. As I jumped onto her, we stumbled through the door of the room right next to mine.

Crashing to the floor, we each gave a surrendering huff. It was going to be a tie. Each of us knew we were acting childish anyway.

Rubbing my face, I tried to get up, but I only fell back down again. "Are you okay?" said a small voice across from us. I heard soft footsteps walking towards us. A pair of bare feet stopped in front of me.

The person kneeled down as I tried to get up. We met face to face, only inches apart. This guy sort of reminded me of B, only much cuter. Yeah, I just said that.

He had black spiky hair. I realized that he must have been the figure I saw earlier today. Under his eyes, a small dark line appeared, indicating his lack of sleep. He wore a long sleeve white shirt and baggy jeans. And he was the same age as me.

Helping me up from the floor, I blushed. "Uh, thanks."

He nodded. "No problem."

From the floor, Cinder grunted. "I'm okay too!" Picking herself up, she stared at the boy. A twinkle grew in her eyes.

Before she could say it, I said to her, "I call dibs!" Cinder grunted, muttering something under her breath.

The boy looked confused. "Uh... dibs?"

"Nothing," Cinder and I said in unison.

I smiled at him. "I'm Winter and this," I said, gesturing to Cinder, "is Cinder. We just got here today."

"Are you siblings?" he asked.

"No, not related whatsoever."

"Ah," he murmured. "Friends."

"What?" Cinder said with a shocked face. "I am not friends with her!"

I stuck out my tongue at her. "I'm not friends with you either. All you do is start food fights." She stuck her tongue back out at me.

Glancing at the the boy, I saw amusement in his eyes. "So, what's your name?" I had to know the name of my crush. Yeah, I just said that too.

"Just call me L."

Our eyes went wide. This was the guy we were just talking about. Omg, and I called dibs too! Glancing at Cinder, I smirked. She glowered at me.

"Well, L, it was very nice meeting you, but I must be returning to my room now." Giving me one last glance before adding, "Before Roger wakes up." Out the door she went.

"What's wrong with Roger?" L asked.

I waved it away. "Nothing too serious. I just put chocolate syrup on him and his bedding. Let's just say he won't be waking up on the right side of the bed." I snickered evilly. L gave a tiny smile. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny.

Then it quickly disappeared. "You probably should go."

I looked hurt. "Why?"

"It's very late, and you must be very tired so-"

"Why aren't you asleep?"

"Who said I wasn't?"

"The open laptop on the floor," I snapped back.

Rubbing his temples, L sighed. "Do you _like_ getting on people's nerves?"

"I enjoy every minute of it." Then I looked down. "Well, only fighting with friends. I would've never fought with my parents." I sat down.

L crouched, in some weird and cute way, beside me. "Hmm, and why was that?"

I smiled into the distance. "They were good people. They cared for me and loved me. I never wanted to let them down, I looked up to them."

L nodded. "I never really knew my parents. They died when I was young."

I put a comforting hand on L's shoulder when I noticed the sadness in his eyes. "What's one thing you do remember about them?"

His eyes glimmered while he talked. "I faintly remember seeing their faces, but I have a couple pictures. I guess that's what I remember about them." He looked at me. "You?"

I laughed. "Well, my dad always reminded me of Santa. Always jolly and funny. He loved making others laugh." Bringing my legs up to my knees, I cuddled them. "My mom always knew how to make others feel better. She could make anyone smile. She never let me down, and always made time for me. I guess you could say she was selfless." With a smile, I gazed out the window. "They were both so generous and loving people. It was anguishing to everyone when they died." I closed my eyes. "My mom always said she saw goodness in me. I have a little bit of both of them in me. I'm my own person, but they'll always be apart of me."

I tensed up and opened my eyes when I realized L was hugging me. _What the…?_

He looked at me. "I noticed you were sad. So I wanted to give you a hug." He pulled away and blushed. I blushed too.

"It was really nice to meet you L," I said, holding out my hand.

Shaking it hesitantly, he nodded. "Nice to meet you, Winter."

Suddenly, Rodger burst through the door. Behind him stood Cinder. Roger was covered in chocolate syrup that was now smeared everywhere. He was wearing John Wayne footy pajamas. I saw L crack a tiny smile.

"Winter Wonderland!" he shouted. That made me burst out laughing. Beside me, L's eyes danced with laughter. Even Cinder started laughing.

With a grunt, Roger yanked me off the floor. "Just wait until your grandfather hears about this! Wammy will make you pay you little runt!" Cinder and L's eyes went wide when he said grandfather.

"Wammy's your-"

I cut Cinder off. "I think he'll want to snap a few pictures of you in your pj's to put on some Christmas cards." I burst out laughing. Roger pulled me out of the room, leaving L and Cinder in shock.


	3. Would You Rather?

_I hope you are liking the story. I know I am!_

 _Voice in my head: Duh. If you didn't like it, you wouldn't be writing it._

 _Me: Shut up_

* * *

Pulling Roger's comforter into the washer the next morning was tedious. Stuffing it in, I poured soup and then turned it on. With a long yawn, I walked into the dining hall for breakfast.

Sitting down at our table, I noticed a new guest. "Cinder?" She nodded casually. Not wanting to push it, I dropped that conversation entirely. Remembering what she told me last time, I decided to stir up some morning fun. It couldn't hurt. I just wanted to see Cinder's reaction...

"So," I said, turning to B, "have you ever wanted a girlfriend?" Cinder slammed her fork down on the plate.

"Eh," he said, his eyes drifting between me and Cinder. "I'm just waiting for the right girl." Nodding approvingly, I smirked at Cinder. She kept a cold glare at me.

Wammy appeared beside me and tapped my shoulder. "L has requested you join him for breakfast." I nodded and stood up. B and A looked at me in surprise. Cinder, being the one who likes to brag, spoke up.

"Tell him I said hi," she said casually. "And that I like his room." I nodded. B and A looked even more confused. They were probably wondering how we got to go into L's room. Looking over at A, I gestured for him to leave. Getting the hint, he cleared his throat.

"I'm gonna… head to the… bathroom." _Smooth A. Real smooth._

After we left, Cinder and B were the only ones at the table. She glared angrily at me again as I left.

As we approached L's room, Wammy chuckled. "I don't know how you did it, but you've managed to catch L's attention." I blushed. "He's taken quite a liking to you since last night." I blushed even redder. Wammy left me alone to enter L's room.

I knocked on the door. "Come in Winter," called L's voice. Inside, L was crouched on the floor, typing on his laptop. When he saw me, he gave a small smile. "Good morning."

"Morning L," I replied casually. Then I sunk beside him. "Whatcha up to?"

Closing his laptop, he whispered, "It's top secret." I smiled and shrugged.

Wammy came back and brought me some toast with jam, some pieces of bacon, biscuits and gravy, and orange juice. L had ten cinnamon rolls.

"Holy crap," I said, watching him scarf it all down. "How can you eat all that?"

"It's quite simple," he replied, licking his fingers. "I've discovered that you don't gain any weight if you burn calories by using your brain. Quite useful, actually, seeing as though I love sweets."

"What's your favorite of them all?" I questioned.

"Hmm," he bit his thumbnail. "Cake. Yes, I love cake most of all." I laughed softly. After we finished breakfast, I decided to play a game with L. I really like playing games, even though I'm thirteen.

"What is "Would You Rather" about?" he asked as I told him the game.

"Well, I ask you a question like 'Would you rather eat cake or co-"

"Cake!" he exclaimed.

"See? You've already gotten the hang of it." Scooting closer, I put sat crossed legged and folded my hands. "Your turn."

He thought for a moment. Humming with curiousity, L bit his lip. "Would you rather be talking to me, or talking to B, A, and Cinder." I blinked. I did not expect that.

"Well, do you want my honest answer?"

L nodded.

"Honestly, I'd rather be here with you. I really want to know you more." Leaning in, I whispered in his ear. "Plus, I want B and Cinder to get some alone time. A is with his other friend right now." L nodded, hope filled in his eyes. He mustn't have had any friends before. He's probably hoping I'll be one. _Don't worry L. I can already tell that we're gonna be great friends._

I sighed, my thinking mode on. "Would you rather have invisibility or heat vision?"

"That's obvious." L sipped the tea Wammy gave him. "Heat vision."

"What? No way, I'd rather have invisibility. Why heat vision?" This boy was so strange.

"Again, isn't it obvious? I'm so undetectable, no one notices me right now anyway. I'm already practically invisible."

With a sigh, I gave L a hug, causing him to almost spill his tea. "I see you L."

Smirking as I pulled away, L sipped his tea. "I see you too Wonderland."

DING DING DING! The wall clock alarmed me it was time for lunch already. I'd been playing "Would You Rather" with L for a long time. Saying my goodbye to L, I skipped downstairs. Yeah, I skipped. That's how happy I was. Because I had a plan. Tonight I was going to sneak into L's room and discuss it with him.

Now it was time to see my other friends.

Filling my tray with food, I sat down at our table. Eh, nothing's changed. Except that B was in a jam fight with Cinder.

"My jam!" he cried. "It's mine!"

Cinder grunted. "Come on and share you big baby!"

I snickered at the two. The paused to look at me and yell in unison. "What?!"

With a laugh, I twirled my hair. "You two are so much alike." With a small grunt, and blush, Cinder scooped a handful of macaroni. She was about to launch it at me when A's hand scooped it out of hers.

"Hey," she complained. "I was gonna use that."

"Not anymore," he sighed. Glopping it back on her plate, he yawned.

"How can you be tired already?" B asked A. His tone was annoyed, mostly at Cinder.

A pulled a stack of books from his bag and plopped them on the table. "I've been up all night studying." He looked like the walking dead.

"Studying for what?" I inquired.

"To be L's successor." He sighed and began slowly eating his food. I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowed. Standing up, I pushed all his books back in his bag.

"Hey," he whined. "I was gonna use those."

"Now you sound like Cinder." Cinder snickered as I mentioned her name. "And besides, you don't need to study. You're a natural genius as it is. Don't overwork your brain."

He sighed as I sat down. After we were done eating, I abandoned B and Cinder and dragged A to his room. Inside, I threw him on his bed. Covering him up with blankets, I sighed.

"Get some sleep. You need to sleep more than you need to study. Without sleep you can't function." I kissed him gently on the forehead, just as my mother would do when I was sick. Softly, I shut the door behind me.

* * *

My eyes shot open. The alarm clock under my pillow was vibrating. I put it under my pillow because I hate loud noises that wake you up. It's so freaking annoying! Why would someone want to wake up to that? A person screaming in your face to wake you up is all the same thing.

It was midnight. Wrapping myself in my light pink robe, I snuck into the hall. Knocking softly on L's door, I went in when he called to me.

I smiled as I saw him crouched over the laptop again. "L, we need to talk."

Glancing up from the screen, he looked at me with his face full of worry. "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

Shaking my head, I sat next to him. "Tomorrow we're gonna set B and Cinder up on a date!" He shook his head and chuckled.

"You and your crazy schemes." Turning back to his laptop, he nodded at me to continue.

When I got done, he closed his laptop and plopped on his back. "Why do I dare get myself involved in your plot?" I laughed and lay next to him.

"Because I'm your friend." He nodded.

Suddenly, L stood up. Grabbing my hand, he dragged me out of the room.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked.

"Somewhere," was all he said. _Why do I even bother?_

Outside, L lead me to the fountain. Above us, the moon shone it's beautiful light all around. The fountain water reflected it's glory perfectly.

"L, what are we-"

Holding his finger up to my lips, he shushed me. "Just be quiet for a moment and observe." He walked to the fountain and stuck his hand in. It appeared like he was reaching for something.

Giving a slight gasp, he bit his lip. Suddenly, the whole fountain lit up. Taking his arm out, he stepped back and watched. A burst of colors filled the fountain; blue, grey, purple, and pink. They lit it up, bringing the whole thing to life.

I gave a couple "ooh's" and " ahs" while the light show went on. After a moment, L came close and slung an arm around my shoulder. The whole thing lasted ten more minutes. My eyes were glued on it the whole time. But I think half the time, L's eyes were glued on me for some weird reason.

After it was done, L walked me to my room. Then took one more step to the left and he was at his. We said goodnights and I crawled into bed. The last thing I thought about was the beautiful light show, and how I got to watch it with my friend.


	4. The Date

_Hello everyone! I hope you like this story. XD_

* * *

I woke up to a violent shaking. At first I thought it was an earthquake or something (even though I doubt they had earthquakes in England), then I realized that it was just A shaking my shoulders.

"Winter! Wake up!" he exclaimed. "It's time!" I'd almost forgot that I told him to wake me up at 7 a.m. Oh well.

Jumping out of bed, I pushed A out of my room. Then got dressed into some jeans and a white t-shirt.

After that, I marched into L's room with A right behind me. "Come on lazy. It's time!" From his computer, he looked up at me and rolled his eyes.

The three of us snuck past Roger, who was pacing around his office, and made our way to a nearby shed. Inside, we pulled out lights, streamers, balloons, and other decorations.

"Why do you guys have all of this stuff," I asked them.

A shrugged. "We use them for parties, but these are the old stuff." Didn't matter to me. I'm just glad they had some.

About an hour later, we returned inside and went to the dining hall. B and Cinder were waiting for us.

"Where have you been?" B glared at A. Cinder glared at me. Glancing at each other, we shrugged. A said "the bathroom" the same time I said "still sleeping."

"We were still sleeping in the bathroom?" A suggested waverly. Then we sat down.

After a moment, B nudged me. "Uh, who's your friend?" I turned my head in confusion. Then I realized L was sitting on the other side of me. I couldn't believe he was here, out in the open. All I could do was stare at him, wide eyed.

B rolled his eyes. "Well, who the heck is this guy?"

B's irritated voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Oh, um, B, Cinder… This is L." Now they were staring at him wide eyed. Stifling a giggle, I shrugged nonchalantly and returned to my food.

"Now you understand why I do not go out in public," L muttered under his breath. I let out a small giggle.

"L meet B, Cinder, and you already know A." Lifting my head, I waved my hand in front of their faces. They seemed to be in a trance. Or a staring contest. They looked silly either way.

He nodded at them. "Nice to meet you. Does anyone have cake?"

B furrowed his eyebrows. "Dude, it's breakfast. No one's gonna have cake at bre-"

"I do!" I handed L a plate of cake that I'd snatched from the kitchen. Eagerly, he seized it from my hands and started devouring it. B grumbled something and returned to his food.

Cinder stared at me. Ever so slowly, a smirk grew on her face. I gulped. I knew she was gonna do something after what I'd pulled a couple days ago. Being the independent and hot headed girl she is, I knew she was pissed and was going to seek revenge on me. I just didn't think it would be so soon.

Resting her head on her elbows, she gazed at the two of us. L looked up from his cake and stared at her, blank faced.

"Oh, sorry for staring it's just…" Cinder smirked evilly again. "You two are _such_ a cute couple." L choked briefly on his cake. My face started burning up.

"Cinder, we are not a co-"

"L and Winter sittin' in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a ba-"

"SHUT UP I SAID WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!"

"Aww, Winter. Don't be ashamed. You two are so adorable to-"

I stood up and slammed the plate on the table. Thoughts ran threw my head. Lunge at her, kick her, pull her hair… But then I realized something. If I did that, I'd look so childish. I'm 13, almost 14, for crying out loud. I needed to act like it. I guess that's something my mother would say.

Quietly, I patted L's head and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Do you still want to do this for her?" L wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Yes, the look on her face would be worth it." By that, I meant the pissed off glare she'd give me.

"Okay." L left the room to put the plan into action.

It was already lunch time. After this morning, I just stayed in my room for awhile. L came and joined me later. Now, it was time to give Cinder something she didn't deserve. A date.

Suddenly, I heard voices outside my room. "What is it that you wanted to show us?" Wammy. If the plan was going correctly, Roger was with him too.

"Oh, just how many cases I've solved. I don't mean to brag, but it's quite impressive." L had mentioned to me that he would often solve local crimes to suppress his boredom.

As L's door shut, I sprang out of the room. Downstairs in the dining hall, I marched up to Cinder as she was getting her lunch. Smacking the tray from her arms, I pulled her away.

"Do I dare ask why?" she mumbled.

"No," I replied blankly. Then I blindfolded her.

After about ten minutes of walking, I stopped her in front of the decorated gazebo, let go, and walked unobtrusively away. I could hear her distant voice calling to see if I was still there. Turning around, I saw A releasing B, then following me. The wandered around for a minute before bumping into each other and falling like idiots.

Back at Wammy's, A and I went back to our rooms and hid. It wasn't for another ten minutes until I heard Roger and my grandfather leave. L's cute face appeared through my door.

"May I help you sir?" I teased.

"May I come in, Wonderland?"

"No," I teased again.

He looked at me with puppy dog eyes and began pouting. Finally I laughed and waved him in. Closing the door behind him, he crouched across from me on my bed.

"How did it go?" he wondered curiously.

"Well, I guess you could say… Just as planned." I smirked at the thought of them at the gazebo we decorated. It was the cutest little date spot for them.

"Hmm, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried tricking _us_ into going on a date." Thoughtfully, he looked out my window and bit his thumbnail.

"Ha, knowing them, they'd be planning our marriage by now!" He chuckled as his gaze fell upon me. They scanned my body up and down, and lingered at my eyes.

"I love your eyes. I've never seen purple orbs like yours." Immediately after saying that, L blushed slightly.

"And I've never seen a thirteen year old with such dark bags under their eyes as you have." Narrowing my eyes at them, I sighed. "How much sleep do you get?"

"Not much."

"You should really change that, ya know?"

"Why?" My eyes lingered upon his.

"Because sleep is healthy."

He smirked. "Have you seen the stuff I eat? I don't believe 'healthy' is in my vocabulary."

Yawning, I spread my arms out. "Sleep sounds good to me," yawning even wider, I curled into a ball. Ignoring my hungry stomach, I began to close my eyes.

"Sweet dreams Wonderland," L's soft voice whispered as I drifted to sleep.

* * *

 _Falling…..falling…..falling….._

 _I fell deeper and deeper into the hole. Suddenly, I hit the bottom. My body ached with pain. Above me, snickering. One head popped up. It's face was as broken as I felt inside. Glass shards torn through it's flesh. It's hair was mangled and cut, blood dripping down it's face. And it wore an MCR t-shirt._

" _Mom?" My voice floated up to her, and she began crying. Soft and first, then louder and louder. Tears flooded down my face._

" _How come you got to live, and we died?" she asked me. That made me cry even harder._

" _I'm sorry," I pleaded. "It wasn't my fault!"_

" _Of course it was!" Another face similar so my mother's appeared. "You don't deserve to live. You're just a spoiled brat!" My father sounded harsh and cold. This wasn't him._

 _Together, they cackled like maniacs. Then the walls started closing in on me._ " _NO!" I screamed. But my tiny voice was nothing compared to their chaotic_ _laughter. I could feel the walls begin to crush my body. I started hyperventilating. I was extremely claustrophobic._

" _STOP! NO! PLEASE HELP ME I-"_

Fluttering my eyes, I squinted at the evening sun glowing up my room. L's worried face was staring at me. His tight grasp held my shoulders.

"Winter? You were having a nightmare." I shuddered, remembering every horrifying detail.

"What did I say?" My parents use to wake me up at nights, telling me I'd been screaming at the top of my lungs. It only happened a couple of times, only because my best friend died in a plane crash. That was the only bad thing that actually happened to me as a child.

"You were screaming to someone to forgive you, saying it wasn't your fault. Then you started thrashing about, almost like you were trying to escape from something." His eyes melted my heart. For some odd reason, I felt like I could tell this boy anything.

So I did. It all sort of flowed out of me. About the dream of my parents, me being claustrophobic. Then my rambling went on to my best friend's death. I'd been holding all of that worry in for a very long time. It wasn't hard to let it all out.

When I ended, I realized L was holding me, stroking my head like a child's. My mother use to do that. That thought made me start crying again.

After awhile, my tears lessened. I was finally back to sniffling. L was still holding me, telling me it was okay. Because it was. I'd finally told someone all of my worries and doubts. The weight on my shoulder lifted to as light as a feather.

I smiled. "You know, we've told some really personal stuff to each other."

He nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose we have."

"You know what that makes us?" I asked eagerly.

"Hmm, no I do not. Tell me." He urged.

"Best friends."

After a moment, he smirked. "I guess that would make us best friends. "

"Panda," I whispered.

"Wonderland," L whispered back.


	5. Change

_I'll cut to the chase. I'm not very talkative._

* * *

A whole week had gone by since the date I set up between Cinder and B. When they returned later that evening, Cinder actually walked up to me and hugged me. Before punching me in the stomach.

Now, it was Monday, mid September, and I was prepared for anything.

Well, almost anything. Honestly, I wasn't prepared for the menacing face of Cinder staring at me at 3 in the morning. Leaning over me, she smirked. "I've been waiting all week for this," she said, before stuffing a cloth over my mouth. Whatever was in that cloth made me go to sleep.

 _Really? She knocked me out? Eh, I guess I should expect that from her._

I don't know how long I was out for, but when my eyes finally opened, it was completely black. My hands felt around me. _Am I in a sack?_ Burlap. That's what I felt was enclosing me. Thrashing around frantically, I pushed my head out of the top.

I really wish I hadn't.

It was dark outside. Or wherever I was. Beside me was another sack. Struggling out of the bag, I ran over to it. Moving my hand across the burlap, I felt a body moving up and down. Squeezing my hands in the top, I pushed it open.

L's sleeping face melted my heart. He was curled into a ball, his thumb up to his mouth. _Aww…_

Suddenly his eyes popped open. Realizing that I was still gawking over him, I back up and helped him out of the sack. Looking around, he scratched his head.

"That was very uncomfortable."

"Tell me about. What did B do to you?"

With a shrug L answered. "Only put sleeping pills in my late night cake."

I snickered. "Heh. Cinder shoved a cloth of chloroform or something over my mouth ."

Getting up, he pulled me onto my feet. "Where the heck are we?" Tall trees were casted over us. The moon shone down at us, and the stars twinkled. A chilly wind blew my blonde hair.

L sighed. "It seems we are… in the middle of nowhere." I sighed as well.

"Well, we better get going." After a while, our feet started to ache. Finally, we had to rest on the ground.

"I'm not use to so much walking," he panted. I snorted.

"Lucky you." He nudged me playfully. I nudged him back. Suddenly, his warm hands pulled me to the ground. Pointing to the sky, he gestured for me to look up. I gasped in awe as tons of comets rained down the sky. It lit up as the stars glowed brightly beside it. I thought this stuff only existed in movies. With high definition.

L turned on his side and gazed into my eyes. Mine were glowing at the sight of the comets, something that I've never seen before. He smiled as he watched me. I smiled as I glanced at him through the corner of my eye.

"Cinder and B must have planned this," he whispered.

I turned on my side and looked at him. "I'm kinda glad they did."

Suddenly, my world was turned upside down. L leaned in and kissed me on the lips. Shocked at first, then I slowly relaxed. He was the first boy I'd ever kissed. A million of guys use to ask me out at school. I'd yell at them, saying I was too young. That's what my father told me. I had never really cared.

Now I'm almost fourteen. Things change. I was actually glad Cinder knocked me out. She was totally getting a hug when we get back. Bonus because I know she hates hugs.

I kissed L back. Then we laid on our backs, gazing at the stars. I don't know if it was the moment, or the fact that I haven't gotten much sleep lately, but I found my head leaning on L's shoulder. Then I drifted asleep.

* * *

"ACHOO!" I sniffled as I woke up, sneezing. The morning sunrise was lingered above the trees. Blinking, I rubbed my eyes.

Only to come face to face with a squirrell. "AH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Next to me, L jolted up. Rubbing his eyes, he stared at the squirrell, still perched on my stomach.

"Get off!" I yelled at it. Blinking rapidly, it scampered away. As L helped me up, I grunted. "Let's go."

Leaves crunched beneath our feet as we walked. Birds tweeted annoyingly all around us. Trees rustled in the wind. It took us another fifteen minutes to locate the gazebo from a week ago. All the lights and decorations we used were still hanging up.

"Uhg, it's another ten minutes until we get back," I moaned. L closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them. Again, we began walking. Another five minutes of silence passed between us. I couldn't wait to get back then I could take a nice, long bubble bath. I know it may sound childish, but I still loved them.

Lost in thoughts, I didn't notice the low growl behind us. L stopped short. He whispered to me in a low, slow voice. "Winter, don't make any sudden moves." I froze with fear. Cautiously, I turned around. _Oh, perfect. Just what we need. A hungry wolf._

Slowly, we backed up. It came closer. Without any warning, the wolf lunged at us. L and I bolted. As we were running, I glanced behind me. It was getting up from the ground and heading towards us.

"Winter," he looked at me with fearful eyes, "we can't outrun a wolf." Especially not him. He wasn't much of a runner.

Finally, I saw it. Wammy's House. As we came closer, I spotted a shed. Running inside, I grabbed the closest thing to the door. A spade. _Oh well. It will have to do._ Pushing L inside the shed, I commanded him. "Stay in here." Before he could protest, I shut him in and locked the door from the outside.

The wolf lingered closer. It walked slowly towards me. With a low growl, it got ready to pounce. I gripped the handle tighter.

With a nasty growl, it jumped to me. With a scream, I whacked it with the spade. It yelped as it hit the ground. For a moment, I thought it was dead. Then it lifted itself up again.

 _Cripes. I'm dead._

Full force, the wolf lunged again. I screamed as it landed on me.

All was quiet. The wind had stopped. Even the air was stiff.

L's small voice called to me from inside the shed. "Winter?" I didn't answer. Fear froze me as the wolf lay lifelessly on top of me. The end of the spade was lodged in it's stomach. Throwing it off me, I took a deep breath.

Getting up from the ground, I realized I had blood on my shirt. _Ah, gross._

Opening the latch to the shed, L jumped out and pulled me into a tight hug. No words were needed. He thought I was dead. I thought I'd die for sure, but I guess today wasn't my day.

"Let's go back inside and clean up," I whispered to him. Laying on the ground all night made us dirty from head to toe. Hand in hand, we walked to Wammy's. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Roger standing in a nearby window. In a flash, he was gone.

* * *

After a relaxing, long bath with way too much bubble soap, I stepped into my room and changed into my sweatpants and white shirt. Even though it was early afternoon, sleeping in the woods isn't actually _sleeping_ at all.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard shouting outside. Climbing off my bed, I trudged to the window to see Roger furious face. He was pacing around the fountain and Wammy was standing across him, watching him.

"That girl is an atrocious influence on him. That boy has changed! And not for the better!" Roger puffed like a dragon.

"I see…" thought Wammy. "I suppose that is true. But I can't just tell them they can't be friends anymore." Was he talking about L and me?

"Well _I_ can!" With an arduous huff, Roger brushed past Wammy and marched inside. Wammy sighed, then followed him.

My feet brought me back to bed. I was too exhausted to worry about what Roger was doing right now. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and...

My door flew open and Roger stormed in. "Pack up your things young lady," he said, throwing a suitcase at me. "You're moving to another room. Far away from this one."

I just stared at him for a moment. His face was burning red and his eyes were brimming with irritation. "Why?" I finally peeped.

"Because," he answered with narrowed eyes, "you need to leave him alone." He knew that I understood we were talking about L. "You're causing too much ruckus and this is your punishment. Now get to it!"

Wammy stopped at the threshold of my room. "I'm sorry Wendy," he said. "It's for your own good." Then he left to go tell L.

Reluctantly, I trudged to my closet and drawers and took out every last piece of clothing until they were stuffed inside my suitcase. Then I crammed in the rest of my belongings until there was nothing else.

 _At least he's not kicking me out of the orphanage._ Roger lead me down the stairs and into another hall. _I will find L no matter what. He's my friend and I'm not giving up on that relationship just because of an old, shrewd man._

As I walked into my new room, which was just like my old one, Roger smirked at me. "Oh, and just so you know. His room with also be relocated. Good luck finding him." Then he slammed the door shut.

Unpacking all my things didn't take as long as repacking them because I was angry. I could work really fast when I'm angry. Mostly I was angry at Roger for doing this. Also, I was angry at my grandfather for not defending me. I was a wee bit angry at myself for some reason I wasn't sure about.

After I was done, I contemplated searching for L's new room. Instead, my legs guided me to my new bed. Just as comfy as the old one.

My dreams weren't nightmares this time. For once, I actually had a good dream with my parents where they didn't die.

When I woke up my clock read 3 p.m. I'd already missed lunch so why bother getting up now? For the rest of the day I laid in bed and sleep. Skipping lunch I sleep straight through the night.

What a long day I had.


	6. The Mission

_For all of you reading my stories, including this one, I will be updating them on Fridays and Mondays. Between that time I will be working on the chapters. OK, A/N done!_

* * *

When I awoke the next morning it was breakfast. My grumbling stomach was craving food.

Not bothering to change out of my sweatpants and white shirt, I brushed my hair and went into the lunch hall. B and A were waiting for me.

"You look like crap," B told me. "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing much," I replied slowly.

"Yeah right," muttered Cinder as she sat down next to B. "I heard Roger screaming in his office yesterday." Her excited eyes darted between B and A. "They slept in the woods then got attacked by a wolf. How rad!"

"Yeah," I murmured sarcastically. "So rad." _Now I'm going to lose my friendship with L_ _. No, I'm not going to lose it. I'm going to be friends with him no matter what._ My father once called me a persistent weasel. Looking back, he was totally right.

"What happened?" They looked at me with worried faces. My friends. They cared for me. Even Cinder did, though I highly doubt she'd admit it.

Eventually, I told them. B and Cinder felt guilty because they were the ones who stranded us in the woods in the first place, but I told them I didn't blame them. I was just ticked at the adults.

A said he couldn't stand to watch me lose a friend. B and Cinder agreed.

"You guys really care about me, don't you?" They nodded.

"We will save your friendship with L!" announced B boldy. "It will be our rescue mission!"

Cinder decided to call the mission "Rescue L." That's what she came up with after a half hour of thinking.

They didn't tell me what they were going to do. All they did was lead me back to my room and somehow block the door so I couldn't get out. I didn't bother to escape anyway. Their crazy idea for getting L and I to be able to hang out was probably dumb enough to work.

Finally, after three hours of reading manga, I heard shuffling outside my door. A peeked his head through. "Leave through the window," he whispered. "So Roger doesn't see."

Outside B and Cinder explained that A was distracting Wammy and Roger so they wouldn't check up on me. Within a small bag, I took manga books to read in case I got bored wherever they were taking me. With them, I always had to be prepared.

A small walk in the forest lead us to a treehouse. It was decorated with streamers and balloons, probably from the gazebo. A long wooden ladder lead up to a wooden room. White shutters were made on the windows. It was painted brown to blend in with its surroundings.

"Go up there," urged Cinder. "And when you're done, just go straight. That will bring you back to the fountain. While you're gone, the three of us will try to reason with Wammy and Roger. Hopefully it'll work." She looked at me and sighed. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this." Cinder patted me awkwardly on the back while B rolled his eyes. They then left me alone. Well, at least that's what I thought at first.

Hesitantly, I made my way up the ladder with my bag. Throwing it into the room, I heard an "oof." Lifting my head, I realized I'd just thrown my bag on top of L.

"Whoops," I said, stifling a laugh. Setting my bag aside, he smiled at me.

"Hello Wonderland," he said.

"Hey Panda," I replied, pushing myself off the ladder and into the room. Crouching against a wall, I sat next to L. "So…" I shook my head. "I'm sorry I got you moved."

"It's fine," he replied cooly. "I'm in the room directly above yours anyway."

Titling my head, I blinked at him. "How did you know that?"

He shrugged. "I heard you blaring your music. When you played an MCR song, I knew it was you." In fact, I did blare my music one night, raged at Roger. Of course, he came into my room and turned it off.

"Why," I wondered aloud. "I don't get it."

"They seem to think you are a bad influence on me. Can't get my work done when I'm with you." I snickered. He's right. Whenever I'm around he turns off his laptop and hangs out with me instead.

"Do you think what they're doing is right?" I asked him.

I took him awhile to respond. For a minute, he only stared straight ahead, lost in thought. "No," he finally replied. "We should be free to make our own choices on who we want to be around." He took my hand and squeezed it. "And I want to be around you."

"Panda…" I trailed off, blushing. How is it that he's never had any friends, but he knows how to make a girl feel special? "And I want to be around you," I squeezed back. Even though I like L, I was hoping that we're just talking about being friends for now. Don't get me wrong, I liked the kiss but… L is my best friend for now. I don't want to change that.

Reaching for my bag, I pulled out my manga series. "Fairy Tail?" he asked.

"What? Never heard of it?" He shook his head. "Then we have a lot to read."

An hour or two went by. All we did was read manga and talk about stuff. Not only was L an interesting, but quiet, talker, he was a really great listener too.

"How's the 'Rescue L' mission doing?" Cinders voice rose up from below us.

"Awesome," L replied.

"Even though that's sweet and all, we can't argue with them forever. You two need to help get them on our side!" Getting the hint, I packed up my bags and followed L down the ladder. Cinder had her hands on her hips, waiting impatiently for us. "Come on, hurry."

The three of us jogged back to Wammy's just in time to run into Roger and Wammy. They were standing at the fountain, A and B by their side.

"Finally," B shouted at us. "What took you so long?"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Roger spewed. "I thought we went over this once and for all!"

L stood his ground. "I don't see why I have to work on cases all the time. I need a friend once and awhile." Glancing at B, A, and Cinder, he added, "I will have time for all of my friends." That made me smile. To think he cared for more people, especially my other friends.

"I'm sorry but we just can't let that happen!" Roger was getting on my last nerves. "Winter is just too much of a bad influence on you."

Now it was my turn to stand my ground. "You know what? I don't care what you think. You think you can just control everyone's lives to make yours better. But you can't. There's nothing you can say or do to make me not stay friends with L. I've learned a lot since I've came here. One is that the only person controlling your destiny is yourself."

I took a deep breath. "I'm taking control. L and I will stay friends, whether you like it or not. And if you still don't agree, then you can go kiss a toilet seat because I'm not giving up that easily. I've lost two of the most important people in my life already and I'm not going to lose another. My friends mean the world to me, and if you can't see that, then I suggest pull your head out of your butt and look around."

Another breath. "So, in conclusion, I'm going to march back inside, move my stuff back to my old room, then help L move his stuff. We are best friends and you can't ever change that." My last words drifted through the air, past Roger and Wammy and past my friends. Instead of staring at me in shock, they stared at Roger. A single tear cascaded down his eye and he smiled at me. I heard Wammy begin chuckling.

Wait a minute. Wait a freaking minute. He knew I wasn't going to give. Wammy knew that if I really cared for L, then I would fight back. Roger must've been in on this too. Both of them wanted to observe how I was going to react. Maybe I was a bad influence on L before, but now...

In the realization, I shook my head and laughed. Even though I was proud of that meaningful speech I made, I couldn't believe Roger could be such an amazing actor. Or maybe he wasn't acting. Either way, I knew the friendship I had with L would remain.

This must've been his own personal test to see if I really was a good influence on L.

I think I just passed.

* * *

 **Sometime the next month (October):**

Lifting up my feet and setting them on Roger's desk, I laid back in the chair and stared at the ceiling. It'd been a couple months since I came to Wammy's and I was fitting in perfectly.

My birthday was in a couple more months and B said he was already planning my party, which I highly doubt.

L's birthday was the last day in October. Sometime soon I'd have Wammy take me to town so I could buy him something. Something that involved sweets.

Roger's office doorknob twisted as the door creaked open. My friends Cinder, B, A, and L flooded into the room. "Take a seat," I gestured towards the chairs in front on his desk.

Cautiously, they sat. Not knowing what they were expecting, all was quiet. "I've called you all here to declare war," I announced. They tilted their heads like puppies.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Cinder snapped. "Is this a joke? Why are you in Roger's chair? Are you insane?"

"A tradition, more like it," I replied cooly. "The kids in my old school use to do it all the time. My friends and I would take part. It's a riot."

"Well," B urged after the thirty second silence. "Tell us already!"

"Calm your face," I snapped. He recoiled at my sudden change in tone. "It's already begun so none of you can weasel your way out of it now." They stared at me in horror, not knowing what I'd just sent them into.

Yelling and shouting came from the lunch hall. Roger, of course.

A eyed me suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Taking my feet off his desk I stood up. Hands on my hips, I heard footsteps coming our way. Dashing for the window, I slid half of my body out of it, ready to run. "This, my new friends, is the beginning. The beginning of 'The Prank War.'"

Before the door opened, I slammed the window shut and disappeared.


	7. The Prank War: Part 1

Day 2 of "The Prank War"

"Yes, that's right," I whispered creepily under my breath. "Go out to the fountain." Roger, Wammy, B, Cinder, A, and L were all given notes to go to the fountain at noon. After the "exploding box for Roger in the kitchen" prank yesterday, which marked the beginning of the war, I knew everyone was cautious about going up. But they went anyway.

Now they were standing around the fountain, looking around like a lost deer. Letting them wander in confusion for another moment, I leaned out the window and yelled down at them. "Happy 2nd Day of The Prank War!"

Pressing a button, the fountain spewed it's water everywhere, drenching everyone around it. The clear liquid gradually turned into chocolate. Ceasing it's spewing after a minute, the fountain returned to a steady flow. But now it wasn't a water fountain: it was a chocolate fountain. You do not wanna know how long it took me to set that up.

Below me, everyone was shouting and yelling at me, raising fists (and a single finger from B) and shaking their heads in frustration. Except L, who wiped chocolate from his face while stifling a chuckle.

Later that night, after supper, I called a meeting in the food hall. Around a large table we sat, mumbling and grumbling about how vacuous this would probably be.

"Attention!" I called out. The group gave a collective shush. "Now, you must be wondering why I've called you he-"

"Get on with it," growled B. "I want the results! Not the speech!" B was a true debater.

"In The Prank War, everyone playing needs to be on a team." Motioning a hat forward, I swished it around, paper slips flapping inside. "I will pick out two names for two captains. Then, the captains will pick their teams."

Roger sighed. "Why am I even _considering_ this?" Beside him, Wammy chuckled with amusement.

Cinder raised her hand. "There are seven people here. You, Wammy, Roger, B, A, L, and me. That's uneven." Her tone was full of pride like she thought she was the only one who noticed.

"I've already considered that," I replied calmly. On my neck I grabbed my whistle. Blowing it loud, everyone covered their ears. The double doors to the food hall opened and in came Hollow.

"Ello everyone. Name's Hollow. It's my pleasure to meet you all." With a deep bow, Hollow tipped an imaginary hat. His light British accent added to his charm.

"Who's he?" snorted B.

"Hollow. He's going to be aiding us in our Prank War." As Hollow sat down next to Cinder. She smiled and shook his hand. Lifting it up to his lips, he kissed them lightly before returning the smile. B glared.

Sticking my hand in the hat I began moving it around then laid my fingers on a small slip. "L," I read aloud. Reaching in again I pulled out another name. "B." B whooped.

On "The Peanut Butter and Jams" were B, Hollow, Wammy, and Cinder. On "The Lone Wolves" were L, A, Roger, and me. _Great, they get all the schemers._ It's true; A and Roger don't do pranks.

"OK teams," I called above the crowd. "For the rest of tonight each team will map out their plans for the rest of the week. Today is Tuesday. The last day is Friday. Tomorrow morning will begin Day 3. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor." I added a British accent to the last part. This should be fun.

In Roger's office, he sighed. "Kids, can you please tell me why I'm doing this? All of this is a kid's game and-"

"Tradition. For me, it's a tradition and I don't want to break it." My pleading eyes wiped the boredom and exasperation off Roger's face.

"Alright," he decided. "I will do it. But no more shenanigans on my watch again."

I stood triumphantly on a chair. "The Lone Wolves won't lose to The Peanut Butter and Jams."

"Who are we kidding," mumbled A. "They've got all the good mischief makers. We won't stand a chance."

"Be positive," I reminded him. "We may not all be the best at scheming, but you know what we have? Heart, drive, and me!" Spinning the chair, I stretched my arms out and smiled. "We can do this!"

"Indeed," agreed L with a smirk. "And we are going to strike the first match."

* * *

Day 3 of The Prank War

Midnight. That's when the match will be struck. L's idea was to pull the fire alarm waking everybody up. The idea was good, but it needed more. So I suggested that we lay fly paper on the floor of each room so they'll stick on it when they try to get up. Everyone agreed.

It was before midnight when we'd slipped into the rooms of The Peanut Butter and Jams members. Now it was exactly midnight: Day 3.

Roger, A, L and I were standing in the hallway, awaiting the first stroke of the clock. I held my breath as all was silent.

 _Ding, Ding, Ding…_ As the strokes began, I pushed the fire alarm. A loud buzz filled the hallways and rooms. We covered our ears. After five minutes, Roger motioned me to end it. When the alarms went off, each of us entered the room of the opposite teammates.

Flipping on the light, I snickered when I saw Hollow. He was still sitting on his bed, but his feet were stuck to the paper on the floor. "Well played Wendy," he said when he saw me. "Well played indeed."

"How did you know my first name?" I asked.

"Wammy sometimes uses your first name when he thinks us kids aren't listening," he explained. "But it is lovely. Suits you perfectly."

I smiled at the compliment. "What about you? What's your first name?"

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Now why would I tell you that?"

"You already know my real first name. It's only fair that I know yours."

"You make a good point," he said, shifting in his bed. His eyes scanned my body and his eyes grew into a smirk. "Henry."

I smiled. "That's a nice name. Really suits you." Folding my arms, I leaned my side on the doorway.

"So," he began. "You going to help me out or what?" His accent sparked interest in me because it added to his personality. Shrugging, I bent down and rolled the fly paper until I reached his feet. Then I cut around his feet until he was free.

After we were done, I examined his sticky feet. "Might wanna wash those off for safety measures."

He remained still on the bed. "Can you get me a wash cloth then love?" Scurrying to the bathroom, I soaked a blue wash cloth and returned to him. Kneeling on the floor, I lifted one foot and began wiping it with the damp cloth.

Recoiling, Hollow began giggling. "Sorry, but that tickles you know?" Rolling my eyes, I told him to man up. After a difficult struggle to keep Hollow from kicking me in the face, I finished scrubbing away the sticky goo off his feet and he laid on the bed and kicked his legs in the air as a show of freedom.

"Are you tired?" he asked still throwing his legs. Tilting my head, I looked to the ceiling and thought about it. The adrenaline of the midnight prank was still inside me but withering away slowly.

"Nope. I'm pretty much awake." Before I knew it Hollow had grabbed my wrists and yanked me on the bed. Next he grabbed my arms and pulled me up so we were both standing on the bed.

"Let's jump! It helps me get tired."

Hand in hand we bounced high on the bed. The top of Hollow's thin ginger hair was still one foot from the ceiling even though we were jumping pretty high. All of the rooms were big and open.

"Am I interrupting something?" L appeared at the door. Hollow immediately stopped and let go of my wrist.

Me, being the clutz I was, gasped at his sudden and mysterious appearance. My left foot slid on Hollow's comforter and I flew off the bed. I almost crashed onto the floor hard, but L swooped down and caught me as I fell. We landed with a hard thump.

"Oh my gosh," I panicked, flipping over to make sure he was okay. "I'm sorry, are you hurt?" Sitting up, L scratched his head and looked at me funny.

"Thank you, but I'm stronger than I look you know." He gave a small smile at me then wiped it away as he looked at Hollow. "Are you tired yet?"

With a carefree laugh, Hollow flopped onto the bed and sighed, his eyes twitched with weariness. "I must say, that did wear me out a bit. Best be getting off to bed, all of us."

I waved Hollow goodbye and shut his door. Turning to L, I rubbed my hands together maniacally. "Did it work? What did B look like when you went in his room?"

Briefly, L glanced at Hollow's closed door as if he wanted to say something about what just happened, but I gave him a face telling him to drop it. "Quite humorous actually. B was off his bed, stuck on the paper, on all fours."

We laughed as we walked down the hall. After returning to our teammates, it was score 1 for The Lone Wolves. A reported that Cinder was doing the splints on the floor. Apparently she hopped out of bed with one foot, then tried to leap across the room causing her to do splint like a banana peel.

Luckily Roger was the one to check on Wammy because he was said to be in his blue striped boxers and a "breezy" white shirt. My mind would've been poisoned if I'd had witnessed that.

* * *

Day 4 of The Prank War

The next day's lunch was our time to get pranked. After another team meeting in Roger's office we made our way to lunch. Cinder and B were in their usual spots, acting normal. Too normal.

As I sat down, I noticed a new face at our usual table. "Hollow, glad you could join us," I said to him.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world," he snickered.

That's when I knew something was going to happen and we were going to be in the middle of it. Roger and Wammy entered the food hall. Wammy glanced at Cinder and B and winked.

Taking that as their cue, they stood up on their chairs. "OK everyone, put your earmuffs and headphones on. Let the music begin!" Everyone, including Wammy, put something over their ears. All except for The Lone Wolves. Beside me, L sighed.

Blasting throughout the room was the Barney song. It was cranked up so loud, I thought penguins in the South Pole could hear it. I wanted to rip my ears off. Roger tried to cover his ears, but that didn't seem to help. Next he tried to open the doors to escaped, but they were locked from the outside, including the windows.

I tried to get out of my chair, but I couldn't move. Flypaper… They put clear flypaper on our chairs. A, L, and I struggled with agitation to get up, but it was no use. We did manage to stand up, but our chairs were stuck to our butts. L couldn't get up whatsoever because his feet were stuck to the chair due to his crouching position.

It took a half hour for the Barney music to stop. I almost cried because it was so annoying. When we were done, I took a nice, long bath.

In Wammy's office after dinner, we had a whole meeting with everyone.

"OK everyone, as you all know, Day 4 of The Prank War is almost over." The room gave a collective, disappointed sigh. "But that doesn't mean the best part hasn't come."

I walked to the window and leaned against it. "Starting tomorrow, 8 a.m at breakfast, we will be working independently, in a way." They awaited patiently for my explanation. "Each one of us will continue to prank each other, but if you get pranked, you're out and your team loses a member."

A collective murmur amongst the crowd.

"Whoever is the last one standing wins The Prank War for their team, and that single person gets a surprise."

"What's the surprise?" B asked eagerly.

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you?" I said teasingly. He grunted with frustration. I rolled my eyes and continued on. "The winner alone will also get two tickets to the Marwell Zoo."

Excited whispers spilled throughout the group. Wammy and Roger raised a suspicious eyebrow at me. "May I ask how you afforded this?" Wammy asked me. The group quieted down to hear my answer.

"During the year, I save up money for this. Before, my friends and I chipped in, but this year I'm paying for it with some of my savings."

Wammy sighed. "You don't have to do that, I could've just paid for the trip."

I shrugged. "I know, but it makes it less special." I looked around my friends with a smirk growing on my face. "Besides, I'm going to win this thing and get my money's worth."


	8. The Prank War: Part 2

Day 5: Last Day of The Prank War

Arising an hour before breakfast, I crossed my legs and sat on my bed to think of a plan. How was I going to win? Who am I kidding, I always lose. My mind floated back to last year, at home in Minnesota, before my parents died. A time when I was with my first friends.

 **Flashback:**

 _Bailey and I were hiding behind our fort, thinking of a plan to save us. It was two on two: The Strikers versus The Leaders. I was one of the last people on The Leaders team, along with Bailey._

 _The Strikers had two of their best men still left: Ryder and Eli. Eli was my best friend, but not in The Prank War. Now we were sworn enemies in the town of Jordan, Minnesota._

 _The winner would get money for two people to go ziplining just outside of town. Our town was surrounded by magnificent trees with ever changing colors that made you smile when you saw our town. It wasn't big, yet it wasn't small. Just cozy…_

 _It was winter; January. My birthday was December 13th so I was officially thirteen._

 _A snowball splattered in front of us. Bailey squealed as more shot throughout the air, every one missing us but coming way too close. Our fort won't hold them for long._

" _I'm going for it," she whispered to me. Pleading for her to stay, I told her she wouldn't last a minute out there with them._

" _Don't you remember what happened to Harper? She got creamed and it wasn't even 8:02 a.m.!" We got Gabe, but that wasn't until we surprise attacked him at lunch._

 _Placing a hand on my shoulder, she sighed. "This has to end." Running out of the safety of the fort, Bailey covered her head and ran straight for them. I peered over the fort to watch her._

 _Snowballs were flying at her left and right, but she dodged them. Almost to their fort, she picked up snow to make a snowball. But she didn't see it coming. Eli already launched it._

 _On the sidelines, Harper tried to warn her, but it was too late. The snowball pounder her chest and she looked at Eli in shock. Clutching her chest, she fell to the ground._

 _Turning her head to me, she shouted dramatically before closing her eyes. "Avenge me Wendy! Avenge me…"_

 _Shaking my head, I sighed. Climbing over our snow fort, I picked up a bucket and ran towards them. The bucket blocked the snowballs since I was too lazy to dodge them myself._

 _Ryder began to pick up another snowball but I held the bucket full of snow over his head, ready to tip it. "Don't move," I commanded. He dropped the shapeless snow. Staring me in the eyes, he smirked._

" _Well Wendy, you think you're gonna win, don't ya?" I smirked back._

" _Think wrong." Eli had grabbed a bucket of his own, packed it with snow, and aimed it at me. "If you drop the snow, I throw this."_

 _Eli smiled at me teasingly. I know he had a crush on me but that didn't affect our friendship. We always kept it light and fun. That's what I liked about Eli. He knew how to have a good time and still be serious._

" _I guess we know who's going to win this," I said, glancing at Ryder. Eli looked at me and smirked. He knew what I was going to do._

 _Simultaneously, we each threw the snow from the bucket at each other. At the same time we got hammered with snow. Falling to the ground, we looked at each other and smiled before closing our eyes and fake dying._

 _Above us Ryder cheered. "I win! The Strikers win!" Everyone burst to life and ran to a circle. All the boys shouted and cheered while the girls congratulated them._

" _So," I began. "Ryder, who are you going to choose to go zip-lining with?"_

 _He looked around in thought, but I knew who he was going to choose. Everyone did. We knew he had a major crush on-_

" _Bailey! Wanna come?" She smiled at him._

" _Sure, Ryder, I'll go." They walked off together to plan their trip. The rest of us exchanged looks before bursting out laughing._

 _That was us. We were the group who always laughed and had fun._

 **End of Flashback***

I miss those guys. They're apart of my family. Ever since I left for England, they sent me group letters. None of them had phones yet, even though I did, but they told me that their parents were planning on buying them ones for Christmas so then we could Skype and text.

I miss Eli the most. His silver hair and goofy grin. We've been best friends since we first started school. Now we were apart physically, but not mentally. Wow, that sounded… weird.

I suddenly got an idea and ran to the kitchen. Taking balloons, I filled them with strawberry jam and wrote "Lone Wolves" in marker on each. Placing them in a box, I carried them to my room.

From a nearby storage room, I collected bubble wrap and made shields to protect myself. I made a few other traps in the halls.

Suddenly, the clock struck 8 a.m. It was every man for themselves.

I crept down the hall, shield in one hand, jam filled balloons in the other. I heard a noise behind me. Whipping around in time I was able to duck as a foam bullet passed over my head.

Cinder was shocked that she missed but ran down the other hall. I ran after her. Cornering her, I smirked. "Oh well," I said before raising my hand and stepping forward.

A rope. Gosh darn it, I stepped on a rope. The realization came that if I took my foot off of it, a giant balloon filled with goo was crash onto me from above.

Cinder smirked. "This was your plan, wasn't it?" I asked. "You lured me here to prank me."

Clapping her hands together, she sighed. "It's only a matter of time, my friend, before you lose."

"No," I replied. "If I go down, you're going down with me." A new realization came to both of us. If I moved my foot, not only would I get gooped on, but so would Cinder since she was cornered and standing right by me.

"Oh crap," she hissed. "Gosh darn it. I'm an idiot."

"Yes you are," I replied. Then, without taking my foot off the rope, I spun around. Then I gave a bountiful leap and sprang far across the hallway. Behind me I heard a yelp, then a splatter.

"Gosh darn you," she said, spitting out goo.

Creeping down the hall, I aimed my balloons in the air, ready to throw. A figure came around the corner in front of me and yelped. "It's only me!" said A frantically when he saw me aiming at him.

"What are you doing unarmed?" I asked him.

"I came to tell you that Roger, Hollow, and Wammy are all out. L got Wammy and Hollow and B got Roger." With a nod, I continued the other way. "Wait!" A called behind me. "L wants to see you, ASAP."

With a small sigh, I followed him down the hall. Why would L need me right now? Sniffing the air, I smelt something. Was it… tomato juice? In front of me, I noticed the stains on the back of A's neck. He'd been hit. Wait, if he's hit then why-

As A opened the doors to the food hall, I dived to the right. Just in time too because a million paint-balls shot in the place I'd just been in. Gripping my shield, I held it in front of me.

B came around the corner. "Winter, you're smarter than the average girl. I never expected you to dodge those on your own." Well, neither did I. "Oh well, I'll just get you now."

Before B could do anything, I flew down the hall. I could hear B behind me as I was running. Without looking where I was going, I crashed into the wall and dropped my shield.

B came up to me and kicked it far out of my reach. "Have fun being the loser!" he laughed.

Suddenly, L appeared. In his hand was a paintball gun. They changed stances so I was in the middle of them, on the floor. They were across from each other like a Texas gun fight.

"End it," L said. He dropped his gun. "Get it over with. Do it!" he taunted. "Or can you?"

With a raging grunt, B shot at L. Before the paintball could reach L, I jumped up and let it hit me instead. Then I practically did the same thing Bailey did. "Avenge me…" I told L as I closed my eyes.

He did, hitting B multiple times in the chest.

* * *

Back at the empty food hall, all of us sat at the table. "The Lone Wolves have won," I announced with a cheer. My teammates smiled and the others begrudgingly congratulated us. "L, it's time to choose who you'll take with you to the zoo."

"Isn't it obvious?" snickered B. The others nodded. I blinked in confusion.

"What, seriously? Wow, you're blind." Cinder snorted.

"They're right Wonderland," L said quietly.

"What's going on?" I asked loudly.

"I pick you," L said with a smile. Ooooh, that's what was happening. Jeez, now I felt like Bailey. Man, I always feel like Bailey.

"OK L," I replied with a goofy smile. "I'll go with you.


	9. Snakes!

Sunday October 5th

Saturday came and went in a flash. After breakfast with our friends, L and I were driven to the zoo. The entrance was a series of small silver gates with a wide sign above saying "Welcome To The Zoo" in bold blue letters. Giving the worker our tickets, L first lead me to a food cart where he bought cotton candy.

For the next four hours we roamed around the place, lingering in the reptile rooms and zooming through the aquarium. For lunch we shared ice cream and I had a hot dog.

It was a fun excursion away from everyone, we enjoyed it. I called Wammy when we were done so he could pick us up. Now it was Sunday; a day for relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Get that thing away from me!" Hollow was holding a small black snake up to Cinder. Recoiling, she fell off her chair. Hollow and B had gone exploring in the woods and brought a snake to the food hall.

"Aw, come on," Hollow teased with his accent. "The little thing won't bite." Cinder began crab walking to the wall.

"I said get it away!" she yelled. Laughing like lunatics, B and Hollow retreated outside to return the snake. I laughed as Cinder got back up. "What are you laughing about?" she scowled at me.

"It was so tiny! How could you be afraid?" Stabbing her chicken, she ripped a piece off with her mouth.

"It's gross and- oh, just drop it!" Mumbling with anger, she shunned me and continued eating.

"Cinder's right, Winter," commented A. He was cowering at the end of the table. "They _seem_ small and helpless at first, but then they grow. Larger and meaner, too! Just you wait, one day you'll understand."

I nodded mockingly at his paranoia and giggled. Baby snakes never really frightened me. It was those anacondas and pythons that scared me. Mostly any snake that's huge and could swallow a teenager whole.

But… large snakes won't ever come to Wammy's…

* * *

It was between 1 and 2 in the afternoon. I was leaning against the fountain, savoring the beautiful weather and calmness in the air. For a moment, it seemed too peaceful. The birds were chirping, but it was soft and soothing. The trees rustled in the wind.

I tugged at my tan cardigan. My hand was sketching across the notebook laid on my lap, my eyes moving up and down to observe and draw Wammy's House at the same time.

As the wind blew, a jerky feeling flew up my spine. I froze. Something was at my feet. My head gradually fell to the ground and my eyes widened. A small black snake was curled around my foot and beginning to climb up my ankle.

"AHH!" I screamed bloody murder. Kicking the snake away I abandoned my notepad and ran inside. Then I screamed again. A million little snakes were scattered across the food hall.

Kids were screaming and yelling and trying to jump onto the tables and away from the snakes, but they just slithered up the legs. Basically, everywhere in Wammy's House is chaotic; a horror scene come to life.

Wammy and Roger were trying to calm down the kids while avoiding the creatures themselves. L was locked in his snake-less room and refused to come out. A sprinted past me and ran to the tree house which was hopefully snake-less.

B and Hollow ran up to me. Wammy and Roger were with them. I glared at B and Hollow. "What did you two do?" I practically shouted at them.

B winced. "Uh, well, we sort of collected snakes and kept them in boxes in our rooms."

"Then," Hollow added, "they escaped and now, well, _this_ happened." He gestured towards the chaotic scene around us.

I suddenly kicked away a snake that was hissing at Roger. "That's it," I said, eyeing the snakes all around us. "We need to get out of here now."

Wammy and Roger rapidly escorted everyone outside. Less snakes were out there so it kept the kids calm. "Wait," I said when everyone was gathered outside. "Where's L?"

 _Oh crap…_

"I'll go get him," I muttered swiftly. Cautiously, I stepped over the snakes and made my way inside. Every corner was crawling with those scaly reptiles. In the hallway I noticed the snakes were a bit larger.

Finally I reached my hallway. L's room was at the end, right by mine. The hallway seemed quiet and the floor was bare. I sighed with relief.

"L," I called, knocking on his door. "Come on out. Everyone's outside."

His timid voice came from inside. "No, I'm fine right where I am."

He wasn't coming out so I had to go in. I tried opening the door but it was locked. I was about to bang it open when I heard a soft _hissss_.

Freezing in my tracks, I saw the thing out of the corner of my eye. _OH. MY. CRAP. Holycrapholycrapholycrap._ I. Hate. Snakes.

A _large_ Grass snake was slithering around the corner. It. Was. HUGE. Or at least my mind made it seem gigantic. When it eyed me, it hissed even louder.

"L," I said in a shaky breath. "Please opened the door."

He scoffed. "You think I am going to fall for that?"

"L," I said louder and firmer. "Please," I pleaded softly. I was deathly afraid of large snakes. When he didn't answer, I was about to run down the hall in the other direction when I saw another snake blocking my way.

Heck no. HECK NO.

Adder. It was an Adder snake. Twenty inches long, light reddish brown. I didn't study many snakes, only the poisonous ones; and this one was poisonous. And it was slithering straight towards me. How the HECK did B and Hollow get that thing? It must've been inhabiting the nearby woods, discovered this place, and snuck in during all the commotion.

"L!" I screamed this time, urgency filling up my voice. "PLEASE!"

The door opened and L quickly pulled me in and shut the door before the Grass or Adder snake could follow. I landed hard on the floor, shaken from the snakes and taken back by the fall. L knelt down to me.

"You were being serious, weren't you?" he asked, embarrassed that he'd left me in the hallway with the intimidating creatures.

Growling as my reply, I pushed off the floor. "We need to go outside. Everyone's waiting for us." Remembering the floors of Wammy's, I shivered.

L began biting his thumbnail thoughtfully. "I suppose we'll have to go through the house again."

I shook my head vigorously and turned away. "I'm not going through there again."

"We have no choice," he replied calmly.

"But L, I-"

"Have no choice," he replied, firmer this time. With a shaky sigh, I faced him. "Together," he said, holding out his hand. It took me a lot of willpower not to slap his hand away and jump out the window-better than going back out there- but I didn't. Instead, I took it.

Leading me to the door, L gave me a reassuring nod before opening the door. Both large snakes were still out there even closer this time. We hurtled far over them. Hand in hand, L and I ran through the halls hopping over snakes left and right scattered on the floors. Big ones, little ones. Green ones, black ones. All kinds. I knew there wasn't too many (B and Hollow couldn't possible keep _too_ much in their rooms without anyone noticing) but it just seemed like it.

On the bottom floor the snakes were smaller, but in more quantities. Darn you B and Hollow. They were definitely going to get punished, if not by Roger (which is highly unlikely) then by me.

Bursting into the food hall we jumped chair to chair, dodging the snakes on the floor. How is it possible that they caught that many snakes? They must've been collecting for awhile now and had sizable boxes. I doubt anyone actually checked their rooms thinking "I wonder if they'll be any snakes in here today!" In retrospect, I doubt anyone investigated their rooms at all. They mostly gave us that warning to scare us.

Finally we ran through the front doors and returned to everyone who were still jittery and nervous. When Wammy saw us, he let out a small sigh of relief. Roger was at the front of the kids scolding B and Hollow for their irresponsible act.

"The gang's all here," I announced. Roger, Wammy, B, A, Hollow, L, and I formed a circle.

"I reported our situation to the local exterminators," Wammy explained. "But they won't be able to arrive for another four hours." Everyone gave a collective sigh of anxiety.

"I think B and Hollow should retrieve those vile creatures," proposed Roger. B and Hollow grew wide eyes and shook their heads.

"Look everyone," I said. "We can't wait four hours outside. The sun will be going down in half of that and no one wants to camp out here with animals that could massacre us. We only have one liable option."

In their heads, they knew what was coming next, dreading the very words. "We'll have to use supplies and catch the snakes ourselves." With nervous and worried faces, they glanced to the door.

"Alright," said L, finally. "We shall gather gloves, shovels, boxes and buckets from the shed. Let's go." Apparently he, and everyone else, was too chicken to touch the snakes with a bare hand so we had to use shovels.

For the next four hours, we did the thing that scared me the most: touched snakes. With two pairs of gloves on each hand, I helped pick up snakes and put them in boxes. Some kids, the brave ones, used their bare hands, but others, like me, had on gloves. Some were too wimpy to even touch them anything but a shovel.

B and Hollow did a lot of the work since it was their whole fault this was happening while Roger and Wammy carried out the boxes. They'd stack them up outside, with the lids closed obviously, until the exterminator came to take them away.

Later, the exterminator came and went, leaving us with a snake free orphanage. B and Hollow were grounded for the rest of the day and the whole next, with no supper tonight.

The sun had set over the horizon leaving a streak of pink in the sky followed by darkness. The moon was crescent and the stars were bright. I watched throughout my window for a while, gazing at them with wonder.

A knock came from my door so I scrambled to open it. Cinder and L were standing outside my room. "Wanna come with us to go get B and visit with them in Hollow's room?" asked Cinder.

I nodded and, without any words, followed them to B's room. He came reluctantly and soon we ended up in Hollow's neat room.

I sat on the bed with Hollow while Cinder laid against in. B and L were crouched against the opposite wall. "So…" B started. "Where's A?"

"Oh," said Cinder. "He didn't want to come. Busy studying or whatever."

A familiar silence filled the room. No one dared to speak for a while, lost in thought. Finally, I spoke up. "What should we do next?"

Hollow scrunched his nose with confusion. "What do mean by that?"

"I mean, like, what is our next big adventure." I looked into the eyes of confused kids. "Seriously? Doesn't anyone want some fun around here?"

Hollow smirked. "Well…" he trailed off. "It is coming close to Halloween."

B perked up at this. "Yeah, so what?"

"We're going trick or treating this year," chimed in Cinder. "Is that what you mean?"

Hollow shook his head. "Where I use to live, we'd always do creepy things for that holiday. Twas our favorite of them all."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

His smirk drifted around the room. "I say we go camping."


	10. Let's go camping!

Friday October 17th

"Do we have everything?" asked A, going through the checklist.

"Yep. Each of us have one suitcase full of one set of clothes, snacks, and whatever else we want," I reassured him. "Then there's those two coolers and first aid kits and tents." Going down his list he marked everything off.

As everyone lined up to get in the van, Roger came to with another clipboard. "Roll call. A?"

"Here."

"B?"

"Yeah!"

"L?"

"Yes."

"Cinder?"

"I'm here."

"Winter?"

"I'm standing right in front of you."

"And Hollow?"

"Ello, I'm here."

"Good. Please enter the van so we can get going."

We piled in, L sat in the front with Roger. I sat in the seat behind L, Cinder sat in the seat behind Roger, and the three boys filled up the back seats. Roger started the van and we began our journey to the park. About a half hour later, we arrived. Roger found us an empty area in the woods to set up camp. Next we began hauling all our stuff to the camp. Now it was time to set up.

"Uh, who's sleeping with who?" asked Cinder.

"Roger can have his own tent," I tossed a tent over to him and he failed to catch it. "Cinder and I can share one, since we're girls.

"Okay," said Hollow. "Then B and I will share one." B high fived Hollow and they began to set up their tent.

"L, are you okay with sharing a tent?" I asked cautiously.

He nodded. "Yes, but I won't be sleeping very much," he told A. A shrugged it away as they began setting up theirs.

"Ugh," whined Cinder, "I can't believe I have to share a tent with you."

"Suck it up buttercup and help me," I commanded.

All of us finished setting up our tents and putting our stuff away within fifteen minutes.

"Hey, let's get in groups and explore the woods," I suggested. Everyone agreed.

"You and me?" asked B. I was surprised he asked me and not Hollow.

"Sure," I replied. Hollow left with L, Cinder and A went in the opposite direction, while Roger stayed at our campsite reading the newspaper.

The forest was fresh and open, crisp leaves crunched below us. It was the middle of October so I was wearing a long sleeve shirt and jeans, covered in my black overcoat. B wore a plain black turtleneck and baggy jeans. I wondered if he was cold.

We reached a river, rushing with clear water. It wasn't too deep, but wide. A larger, sturdy tree had fallen across it making a suitable crossing. B went first, carefully maneuvering down the tree. When he was across, I stepped on the log and followed him to the other side.

The rest of the time we talked about stupid topics that made us laugh. B tried to pick an apple from a tree, but crashed to the ground, landing on his butt. I laughed hysterically while he kept trying, but failing.

We stopped at a log to rest. The sky above us was darkening, creating an anxious mood. "This was fun," B said.

"Yeah," I replied. "Why don't we hang out like this often?"

"That'd be awesome," B replied cooly. I looked at his red eyes, how they filled up his orbs and adding to his mystery. It was cool because- What the? I'd been staring at B's eyes, lost in thought, so I didn't notice him leaning in towards me. What?!

Quickly, I back away, only to fall off the log. Landing with an "oof" I rubbed my head and blushed. "Sorry," I mumbled awkwardly.

"It's okay," he replied emotionless. "I can see you don't like me." He got up to leave.

"Wait," I called after him and scrambled up from the ground. "I didn't mean it like that, I just-"

"Are you sure?" he spat at me, a sudden burst of anger dwelling in him. "Because I'm kind of getting mixed signals." Was I sending mixed messages on how I feel? I couldn't tell. B began marching off in the direction we came from.

"B, wait! Just stop for a moment and calm down!"

He stopped and turned to me. "I am calm," he snapped. "You're the one who needs to stop for a moment."

"Why?" I asked angrily.

"Because you don't know anything! You don't know who you like, who you want to be. You don't even know what your favorite color is!" He had a point. "Can you just stop and think about your life?!"

I tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder but he brushed me away harshly. "Don't bother following me back. Just do everyone a favor and stay out here for a while." I watched B storm off until I couldn't see him anymore.

Whoa… Harsh even for B. Was I doing everything he'd said? Honestly, I didn't know who I liked. All of the guys were great. Maybe I didn't like any of them. Maybe I did, deep down inside. Either way, I still wasn't for sure. … Dang, he had a point.

Instead of going back to camp, I followed B's advice and stayed put on the log. After a while of listening to the birds chirp, I heard the faint sound of rain falling. Then, as time went by, the rain grew stronger and louder.

 _Why did it have to rain the day we went camping?_ It didn't help that the wind blew freezing me. I decided to head back. I didn't want to stay out in the rain where I could get sick.

As I was walking back, the winds picked up. My blonde hair was whipping everywhere. The clouds weren't too dark, so at least I could see where I was going.

Finally, I reached the crossing tree. Stepping onto it, I began walking carefully. Below me I heard the water rushing and blowing. I was nervous, for a while, that I'd fall in. But that wouldn't happen to me, right?

Wrong. An immense gust of wind knocked me off the tree and into the water. The sharp pain of cold water was the first thing I felt. Then the cold water in my mouth as I struggled to stay above water.

I knew how to swim, but not during a storm in an overcoat. For a second above water, I saw a branch that I could reach to pull myself out, but I sunk back into the water.

At that point, all hope was lost for me. Then came my savior, my miracle. The person who rescued me from drowning.

As I floated under the rushing water, a hand grabbed mine. Then arms wrapped themselves around my waist and pulled. Whoever this was, he was strong enough to pull me to the edge of the river. I helped him to climb up the edge with the last ounce of strength I had in me. On the ground above, I blacked out.

* * *

When I awoke, the first thing that came to mind was my rescuer. Who saved me? My eyes adjusted to the darkness. I was laid in a tent, blankets covering me. Outside I saw the glow of a campfire.

My drenched clothes were gone, replaced by sweatpants and a t-shirt I'd brought with me. _Dear Lord, please tell me Cinder was the one to change me._ Okay, I dropped that thought quickly.

I heard talking outside and was tempted to join my friends when I stopped. Maybe B was right. Maybe I was causing everyone confusion. Maybe it was best to stay in the tent and not bother everyone. But that didn't mean I couldn't eavesdrop. I bet they were laughing and having a grand time.

I scooted closer to hear. "I hope she's okay," said Cinder.

"Yeah" agreed everyone but L and B.

"It was my fault," said B. "I left here because I was selfish. Now she probably hates me."

Okay, so I was totally wrong. Crawling out of the tent, I ran over to B and hugged him. "Shut up you loser. I don't hate you."

He was so surprised that he almost fell forward into the fire. "Ah!" After a moment, he smiled. "Get off me." Letting go, I greeted everyone again.

"Where's L?" I asked when I realized he wasn't with us. Cinder pointed to his tent that was placed far away from the others.

"A moved into B and Hollow's tent," she told me. I stood up and walked to his tent. It was too far away for me to hear anyone but I could tell they were talking.

"L?" I whispered loud enough for him to hear. Frantic movement in the tent, a moment later L opened the tent and dragged me on the ground, into a hug. "Happy to see me, huh?"

"You have no idea," he whispered. Inside the tent, he closed the door and turned on a battery powered light. Scanning my body, he bit his thumbnail. "How are you doing?"

I shrugged. "Okay, I guess. There's only one thing that's pestering me." He nodded for me to continue. "Who saved me?" I asked. He stared emotionless at me.

"Who do you think?"

"I think that maybe B came back to me when the storm came, or Hollow did. Of course, my guesses are always wrong so…" My eyes were glued to his. "You did, didn't you?"

A small nod was given along with a teeny smile. "I am glad you are okay. I couldn't bear to lose you."

Epiphany. That's when a realization clicked for me, a light bulb shone over my head. At that moment, L and I gazing into each other's eyes, him telling me he couldn't handle losing me, I knew who I liked. I liked him. I liked L and this time, I was 100% sure of it.

He smiled when I realized that. He smiled because he liked me too.

We hugged each other before returning to the campfire. Everyone greeted us as we sat down next to each other. A normal conversation came among the group for a while.

Then Hollow decided we needed more action. "Who wants to tell scary stories?"

B spoke up. "You first."

Hollow accepted the challenge. "I'll keep it short." He cleared his throat. "Once upon a time, a little girl was walking home from church with her friends. It was late on a Friday night. The girl was asked to take part in a dare; see how long she could stand in a _hollow_ grave before crying."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Get to the scary part!"

"The girl accepted and climbed into the grave. She lasted not even five minutes before she heard something. Screaming. Her friends above ground were shouting and crying for some reason. Then she heard silence."

I shivered, not because of the story but because of the cold weather. L wrapped an arm around me to warm me up. B eyed us. With a smirk, he nodded. He knew now that I'd made my choice. Roger grunted slightly.

Hollow continued. "The little girl began to crawl out of the grave. Halfway up, she peeked over the top and screamed. All her friends were on the ground ahead of her, dead, clothes soaked in blood. She began to get out when a hand shot up from the grave and pulled her inside. She screamed but no one came. She fought but couldn't escape. Down into the grave she went, and was killed. The end," he said.

"I'm impressed," B said. "But I can do better." He began to tell the tale of a chainsaw bear that had dead human skin for fur, running a mock in the forest killing people. When he was done, I shook my head.

"Hollow did better."

B gasped. "But that was awesome!"

"No," Cinder disagreed with him. "It was lame."

Suddenly, a snap of a twig came from the trees behind us. I jumped. Everyone turned to look at it, but nothing came out. Another snap.

"Cut it out B," A said.

"It's not me," B said, all too realistically.

As Roger was about to get up to check on it, rustling came from the trees and he immediately sat back down. Everyone held their breaths. The rustling grew louder and we screamed when a figure, or many figures, jumped out at us. L remained silent the whole time and suddenly laughed.

A group of bunnies stood in front of us. Then everyone burst out laughing.

The next morning we packed up our things and loaded them into the van. When we arrived, I smiled at our house.

Even though I loved camping, I was glad to be back.


	11. Trick-or-treat

**Happy Halloween! (or close to it. :p Like, 12 more days.)**

October 31st

"Get your foot out of my face!" B gave a muffled growl as I shoved myself off of him and into the attic. A gust of dust clouded in my face as I sneezed. Hauling myself up the square in the ceiling, I dragged onto the attic floor.

"I'm up," I assured B. With a lively bounce, he climbed into the ancient attic with me. Brushing the gathering of dust drifting on my purple plaid shirt, I coughed. B waved away the dust circulating around his face.

"This place smells like Roger," he commented contemptuously. "Ancient and fowl." Shaking my head at him, I stepped around the room. Boxes stacked on boxes, worn out sheets folded in wavering piles against the wall. The window had a slight crack in it, a cool breeze blew through.

"It's ancient for one thing," I cringed at the awful odor. "When's the last time someone's been up here?"

"Decades, I assume," B shrugged. Strolling over to an open box, he reached inside and pulled out a book. "'The Black Pullet?'" he read aloud. Turning it over, he furrowed his eyebrows. "'Of dubious origin and with no claim to antiquity, other than purporting to incorporate the wisdom of the past…'" Flipping through the worn pages, he rolled his eyes. "This is talks about "Black Magic" and stuff. Weird," he muttered, tossing it back into the box.

Kneeling beside another box, I scoured through it. "All of these books talk about supernatural stuff. Like that stuff actually exists."

B crossed his arms and sighed exasperatingly. "What are we even doing up here anyway?"

Picking up a fake spellbook, I flipped through the pages. "Oh, just wandering…" Eying a chest under the window, I returned the book and sat on my knees beside it. "And maybe I'm looking for a costume for tonight's trick-or-treating."

B smirked with understanding and knelt beside me. Opening the large green chest, I gasped with delight. Costumes and outfits were packed inside. Some of the clothes were for boys and others were too big. But most of them were exactly my size.

"I bet," I thought aloud, "that these belonged to orphans who once lived at Wammy's House. They must've forgotten all this stuff when they left."

As we rummaged through the chest, B found something he could use for his costume.

"An old knife?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah!" he replied, scanning over it and feeling it with his fingers.

"What's your costume?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

About five minutes later, I found my costume. "Holy crap," B breathed in awe. "That's beautiful!" I laughed. "For a girl," he added quickly. "It'll look even more awesome on you."

Lifting it out of the rusty chest, I walked back to the square opening.

"Hey, where you going? There's tons of more things to go through!" B called after me.

Plopping to the ground, my feet dangling down. "I'm going to my room. Hasn't anyone told you girls take forever to get ready?" With a light laugh, I slid out of the attic.

* * *

Evening came quick. The sun was almost touching the horizon. It was time for trick-or-treating. Who knows why we still do that even though we're teens. To me, it's still pretty fun.

From the window of my room, I peeked to the kids gathering at the fountain. All of them wore creative, delightful costumes. Mummies, 90's hippies, witches, and some dude dressed as a hobo.

In the front of the group, lingering by the fountain, were my four friends. L was dressed as a vampire (how suiting) and Cinder was dressed as a witch. She was wearing a sparkly black dress with a pointy hat. Held to her side was a wooden broom.

B was dressed in a white bloody shirt and jeans. In his hand was the knife from the attic. Oh, I get it; he's a serial killer. Hollow looked like a werewolf.

Downstairs, the food hall was empty except for one person. "Hey A," I said. He jumped, startled.

"Oh, hey Winter," he said. He was sitting at the table, reading. I sat down next to him.

"Aren't you going to come with us?" I asked.

He shook his head quickly. "Nah, it's not my thing. I'll just stay down here and study."

"Don't you think you study too much?"

"No," he snapped back. "There's no such thing as too much when it comes to being L's successor."

I nodded my head slowly, understanding. "Oh, so that's what the constant studying is about." His eyes were skimming his book, but I knew he was listening. "Can't you just stop for one night and have some fun?"

"Unlike you," A remarked, "things don't come easy for me. I have to work for the things I want. Being his successor is pretty challenging."

"Yeah, says the one who got first successor by natural genius." Standing up, I brushed past him. Before leaving I mumbled loud enough for him to hear, "Some people don't understand what they've got until they've lost it." I don't know why I said that.

Outside, I strutted to my friends. They looked at me in awe as I approached. Tonight I was wearing a 1950's poodle skirt with a pink chiffon scarf. I'd washed it and added sparkles, which every dress needs.

L's eyes twinkled as he saw me, causing me to blush slightly. I scanned Cinder's outfit. "Huh," I said with a smirk. "Fits your personality perfectly."

Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms. "Are we going or what?"

Wammy took us Wammy kids to the heart of Winchester. We stayed in two groups; one with Wammy and the other with Roger. Since B and Hollow were in our group, we had to stick with Roger which Cinder wasn't happy with.

As the night went on, we gathered more and more sweets. L peered into his bag with eyes of enjoyment and delight. Nudging him, I dropped more candy into his bag. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"What was that for?"

"I don't like the liquorice or suckers." He shrugged.

Ambling down the street hours later, everyone stared at their full sacks of candy with pleasure. It was a good night.

"Oh crap," muttered Cinder. Looking around, she glanced at Roger. "I dropped my hat. Can we go back and get it?" She gestured towards us five when she said "we" meaning no Roger.

Roger narrowed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before grunting, "Hurry up. The rest of us will wait here."

Hollow, B, L, Cinder, and I retraced our steps. As we searched the sidewalk, B moaned. "This'll take forever just to find that stupid hat."

"Shut up B," Cinder retorted. A smile grew on both of their faces. L and I exchanged suspicious glances.

"Hey," shouted Hollow. "There it is!" His finger pointed directly up a tall tree. Cinder groaned loudly.

"Ah great. I'll get it." Then she began mounted up the rough tree. Hollow raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that's safe?" he questioned.

She rolled her head. "Don't care. I want that hat," was her struggled response. Ascending to the first branch, she huffed. The black hat hung farther away at the edge of the branch.

B shifted uncomfortably and moved beneath Cinder. He fidgeted with his hands, a jittery hum came from him. L just observed quietly, a blank expression fixed on his adorable face.

Cinder stretched her arm out to reach for the hat that was barely out of her reach. B slid beneath the tree as she moved above him. Inching forward, she scaled the branch slowly. With an extended arm, Cinder reached for her hat.

Suddenly, the thin branch below her snapped loudly, scaring the crap out of Cinder. I gasped as she stumbled on the shaky branch. Then, she slid off it. Her hand was still stretched out, and as she fell, the tips of her fingers brushed the hat off the branch.

L grabbed my arm as she fell off. Hollow called to her. B was beneath Cinder. When she fell, he held out his arms and caught her small body before she hit the ground.

I sighed with relief and L let go of my arm. Hollow closed his eyes and sighed. B and Cinder gasped briefly before staring into each other's eyes. "Thanks," Cinder breathed shakily.

"No problem," B replied confidently.

Hollow gaged. L remained silent, but a spark flashed in his eyes. I cooed adoringly at them. "It's like a movie scene. How romantic…" Cinder shot me a glare as B let her down gently.

Walking over to her hat, she plucked it from the ground and placed it on her head. "There, now my outfit's complete." Winking at B, she strided down the street. He followed her hypnotically.

The three of us rolled our eyes and followed them. Cinder could be such a flirt, but I know she likes B. It was obvious he liked her. I sighed. Our teenage years…

The five of us ambled down the sidewalk, a snapping noise echoed in front of us. I leaned closer to L. A loud pop jolted us to a stop. B narrowed his eyes, but shook it off. "It's just Halloween," he assured us. "Watch out for pranksters."

We nodded nervously. Continuing our return back to Roger, we eyed the dark areas around us. Suddenly, a dark figure stepped out of the shadows. He was draped in a black cloak. It looked like he was carrying a small gun.

B started randomly freaking out. "We're gonna die! He's gonna kill us! Oh, gosh, I never savored my last jar of jam!" Cinder squeezed his hand.

The man stepped closer to us and aimed the gun at us. His finger moved for the trigger, but my instincts kicked in and I kicked the gun from his hands. He gasped at the unexpected event and took a quick step at me.

Lifting my foot, I smashed his foot with a hard stomp. He grunted loudly. Then, I grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back. He gasped at the sudden pain. Shoving him to the ground, I kept his arms restrained. His face was smashed on the concrete.

Cinder clapped her hands slowly with an evil smirk. Strolling up to us, she kneeled down to face the man. "Who are you?" she spat.

He grunted shakily before answering, "I'm just an over pranker. I wasn't going to hurt you. The weapon is just a water gun painted black and filled with jam."

B perked up and picked up the gun, repeatedly squirting it in his mouth. Hollow rolled his eyes. "Let him go," he mumbled. Releasing him, the mystery man rubbed his arms. With narrowed eyes, he walked back into the shadows.

Laughing it off, we joined Roger and the others, acting as if nothing happened.

It was around 10:00 p.m. before we got back to Wammy's. The five of us remained downstairs as the rest of the kids trudged off to their rooms. Spreading our sweets out on a table, we began to devour them, L the most.

Halfway through, L sighed with contentment. "This has been a great birthday," he smiled to himself and continued snacking on his sweets. The four of us immediately stopped to gape at him.

"It's your birthday?!" we shouted in unison.

Gulping his chocolate, he nodded slowly, a bit taken back by the sound. "Yes, but there is no need to yell in unison." I blinked and face palmed.

"Why didn't you remind us earlier? Or at least tell us when it was?" asked B, a little perturbed.

"Well," L said slowly, "I really didn't want to bother anyone with the commotion. It's merely a sign of older age. Besides, being fourteen is nothing to celebrate."

Standing up, I held his face, placing the side of my head on top of his. "Oh L. I can't believe you… Come on."

I lead everyone, including L, out to the fountain. Digging my hands in, I smiled at him. "Remember this?" Grabbing the small switch at the bottom, I pulled it, releasing a burst of light into the cool night.

Everyone stared at the rapid colors in awe. Above us, the stars shined brighter than normal. We laid down on the grass to gaze at both scenes. I held L's hand and whispered in his ear, "Happy Birthday L. I promise that I'll make it up to you somehow."

He leaned closer. "Oh, no need. I've already got my wish." He glanced at everyone laying around him, gazing at the beautiful light show. "All I've ever thought was 'I'm perfectly fine being alone. I don't need anyone' when what I really needed was this." Squeezing my hand, he nestled beside me. "Friends…"

I felt bad for L. He's fourteen and we're the first friends he's had; we only met months ago. Yet, we've bonded a lot in those months. I know L wouldn't trade that for anything.

That got me to thinking about my friends; Harper, Gabe, Bailey, Ryder, and Eli. I've been friends with them since kindergarten. I've thought awhile and realized that maybe the friends you first meet won't always turn out to be beside you for the rest of your life. That may differ for L, because heaven knows I won't leave him forever, but it's like that for me.

The friends I made in Minnesota are moving on with their lives, without me. And I'm moving on with them too. It's not like I'll ever forget them. Heck, maybe we'll visit each other someday. But for now, we're apart.

The friends laying around me are the ones I'm making memories with. Who knew that my grandfather ran an orphanage. Who knew I'd be best friends with the smartest kids there.

L. I'll make it up to you for not celebrating your birthday properly. Tomorrow I'll go into town with Wammy and get the thing every person, especially L, would want for their birthday: cake.


	12. Happy Birthday L!

_Shout out to_ _ **Alkirian**_ _for the follow and review, and all the other reviewers! I love new readers!_

* * *

 **Sunday, November 1st.**

In Wammy's limo, I felt the comfy leather seats with the tips of my fingers. I'd love to have my own limo someday.

The sun was over the horizon, but not by too much. Breakfast had gone quickly because I was anxious to get to town. From the front seat, Wammy called over his shoulder, "Winter, we're here."

I clapped my hands excitedly as we rolled to a stop in front of the bakery. "I'll be back soon," I told Wammy as I shut the door.

The bell on the door jingled as I walked in. Standing at the counter was a young woman with her short brown hair put up in a ponytail. Her warm smile hit me as I approached her.

"Cake please. The one for Winter." I'd pre ordered it last night before going to bed just so they had enough time to make it. Nodding, the worker retreated to the back room to grab my order.

In the large box that she helped me carry to the limo was a thick one layered chocolate cake. It was decorated with candy; lollipops, M&M's, chocolate bar pieces, and a lot more. The top had strawberries and sugar cubes, because I know L likes sugar and fruit. The girl looked at it strangely, smiled at me, then went back inside.

It took a lot of effort to make sure the cake didn't bang around in its box and squish. At Wammy's, my grandfather had to go inside and make sure L was in his room so I could deliver the cake to the refrigerator.

I was helping B with the party decorations (we were planning a party during lunch including B, Cinder, Hollow, A, and me. Of course L because it was for him) when Wammy called me over. I deserted my friends and maneuvered to Wammy.

"L wants you," he said.

"But A is suppose to be distracting L," I replied. "Isn't he with A?"

"He is," my grandfather explained, "but he strongly requests you. Won't talk to anyone but you." I sighed. Why did he have to be so difficult today? Out of all days, he's not cooperating on the day of his party.

Stomping to his room, I pounded impatiently on his door. L opened it and I marched inside, turned around and faced him.

"Winter. What is the pleasure of your visit?" he asked teasingly.

Hands on my hips, I narrowed my eyes at him. "L, what do you want? I'm kinda busy."

"Doing what?" he pushed.

"...Stuff," I answered cautiously. His eyes slightly narrowed at me. "Just tell me why you want me."

"I requested your presence merely because I was lonely and would like to 'hang out'". He used his fingers and made air quotations around hang out. Apparently he's too ominous to use the phrase seriously.

"A was here," I reminded him.

"A isn't you," he said slowly.

I sighed, giving in. "Hold on, I'll be back." Sprinting downstairs, I barked orders at B, Hollow, Cinder, A, Roger, and Wammy. Telling them that I'd be distracting L, I gave the commands for the rest of the party plan.

"We can handle it," Cinder said, irritated at my lack of trust.

"Yeah, go ahead. We'll be fine," Hollow said with assurance that made me finally trust them.

Upstairs, I shut L's door and looked at him. "So what do you wanna do?"

The corners of his mouth ascented every so slightly. "Let us go on the roof."

For some reason, I trusted L enough to climb out of the window. "How do we get up here?" I called from the edge of the outside window sill.

"Ladder" was all his small voice called back. Looking around the area, I spotted a long ladder hooked onto the side of the building. Cautiously, I grabbed the side of the ladder and pulled myself against it. With a death tight grip, I slowly began ascending up.

"It took you long enough," he muttered, maneuvering to the ladder and following me up. The top of the roof slanted, but not by much. Just enough so that we could sit without sliding off.

Apparently he'd already been here because I noticed a picnic basket and fur blanket laid out for us. "Aww L," I said. "Is this a picnic on the roof?"

Standing beside me, he lowered his eyes at the scene. "Uh, sort of," he replied quietly. "I was thinking more along the lines of a… date?" he said sounding unsure if I was okay with it.

For an answer, I made my way to the materials and sat down. L sat next to me, covering us with the blanket. The early November weather was chilly, but I didn't mind.

We ate while talking lightly to each other (I did most of the talking) and finally ended our "date" with a surprise. On the other side of roof were flowers. Tons of roses, lilies, bluebells, and more roses.

"L, I-" I began, but I couldn't finish. Walking over to a boquet, I picked it up and took a breath. Turning around, I smiled at L who had his hands in his pocket and looked at me meekly.

Returning to him, I gave him a small kiss. "Thank you Panda," I said gratefully.

His eyes twinkled. "You are very welcome Wonderland."

I left L in his room with the pretext that I had to go to the bathroom. Instead, I crept downstairs to see the party progress.

And was completely satisfied.

Black and white balloons were taped everywhere, black table covers draped over the tables. The cake was set on a middle table and forks and plates were by it. L even had his own table of presents.

"Whoa," I murmured breathlessly. "I didn't expect it to look _this_ cool."

They walked up to me, proud smiles on their faces. "L's worth it," B said. "He's pretty cool." Everyone agreed. Yeah, he is…

Finally, I was able to take L from his room and lead him downstairs. His eyes widened as I opened the door. "Surprise!" everyone shouted in unison. I could tell he was holding back a grin. He was trying _very_ hard.

After an awkward birthday song, we(mostly L) devoured the cake until it was gone completely. At least Wammy got his money's worth!

Next, present time:

B got him cleaned out bottles of jam filled with leftover sweets from Halloween night. Cinder got him his first real pair of shoes; white converse ones. Hollow got him a card and a Halloween doormat for his room. A got him books and a laptop carrier. Roger got him a box of cupcakes. Wammy got him new shirts and pants (his usual attire) and a suit.

"What is the suit for?" he inquired, scanning it.

"In case you ever... um, well..." Wammy glanced at me causing L and I to blush furiously. "You get the idea." L nodded with approval.

Lastly, my gift. As he unwrapped the large box, his face softened. He pulled the picture of all five of us before we went trick-or-treating. Then, a stuffed animal panda with a tied bow on it.

He thanked me gratefully, but I wasn't finished. Running to the kitchen, I took out the fresh cup I had Wammy buy for me. Returning to the group, I handed it to L along with a bowl filled with sugar cubes.

"Here's your first coffee," I said. He looked at it before opening the lid and adding almost the whole bowl of sugar cubes. Then, he slurped it down his throat quickly.

When he was finished, he licked his lips. "That was my first coffee, but most certainly won't be my last." Everyone laughed. That was L.

* * *

 **Saturday, November 21st**

Bright light illuminated my room Saturday morning. Outside, Fall was engaging in our everyday life, crisp leaves propelled to the snow covered ground, and the trees that still had leaves were decorated with colors; red, yellow, and brown.

These were the kind of days that made me want to spend every day outside. But, I had friends. So, getting dressed into a red, long sleeve dress that went below my knees, black leggings, and Ugg boots, I went downstairs.

Breakfast was just getting over, but I wasn't very hungry so I just sat down. My friends were engaged in a conversation, even L.

"Come on B," Hollow was saying. "You don't really believe Thanksgiving was actually on November 27th, do you?" he asked.

"Yeah," B argued. "That's when it happened."

"No one actually knows when it happened! That's just a hypothesis!" Cinder laughed.

"Nuh uh," B whined. "The Pilgrims marked it down on their calendar!"

"The Pilgrims didn't even have freaking calendars!"

Everyone turned to me. "Well?" B asked. "What do you think?"

I sipped my chocolate milk and rolled my eyes. "Being L's second successor, I'd thought you'd have a little more sense, B," I replied cooly. B grunted with defeat. I smiled secretly.

I was sitting in the chair, my back facing the door, so I didn't hear it open. Everyone lifted their heads and looked past me, but I ignored it. Until a pair of arms wrapped around me.

I moved to shove them away, but they were familiar. Very familiar. Laughing loudly, but kindly, I kissed the hand softly. "Hey," his familiar voice whispered in my ear. L narrowed his eyes with jealousy.

Jumping out of my chair, I turned around to face five kids. They waved at me with goofy smiles.

"Gabe, Harper, Ryder, Bailey, and Eli!" I shouted with joy.

"Wendy!" they shouted back. Together we formed our famous group hug. My other five friends looked at us, confused.

"You guys," I told them. "These are my friends from Minnesota!" I turned back to them and squealed. "I can't believe you're here!"

* * *

 _OK, so the next chapters will be filled with a bit of tension with Winter's new friends… Yeah, but I think both sets of friends are cool. From here on out, actually, there will be a lot more drama than before. Don't be alarmed, the ending of the whole story is cute._


	13. Surprise Attack

**{Still Saturday November 21st}**

"You guys," I explained. "These are my old friends from Minnesota." My old friends looked at my new friends with interest. My new friends looked at my old friends with cautiousness. Oh boy…

Turning back to my old friends, I squealed. "I can't believe you guys are here!" Bailey squealed even louder and pulled me into a hug.

"Wendy!" she said. "I've missed you so much!"

"Her name's Winter here," B snapped. Wammy came up to us and chuckled.

"It's alright. Wendy is just fine."

"Old friends," I said. "This is my grandfather, Wammy." They greeted Wammy with kindness and respect.

"Ever since I heard Wendy had a secret grandpa, I couldn't wait to meet him," Ryder commented. "You're pretty cool." Wammy nodded thankfully.

"Do you run this whole place?" asked Harper in awe.

Roger suddenly appeared beside Wammy. "Not just him, but so do I," he bragged. Harper smiled.

"That's a pretty big job. I bet you're very responsible." Roger beamed at that. Harper knows how to butter people up, but she usually means it.

Eli and I made eye contact. _Gosh, his eyes are still charming as they've always been._ Eli pulled me into a hug. "Hey Wendy," he said. "I've missed you."

I wiped away my blush before anyone could see it. "Eli, you're such a flirt," I teased. For him, his blush was noticeable.

Wammy cleared his throat. "Wendy," he said. "Would you like to take your friends outside where it's less crowded? Maybe there you'll have more privacy." I agreed and had him lead them outside while I talked briefly to my new friends.

"I'm so glad you could meet them," I told everyone. "Trust me, they're great."

A nodded before ignoring me and returning to his book. Hollow shrugged and continued eating his food. B grunted disapprovingly. "What's so great about them?"

I blinked. "They're my friends. I've known them forever."

Cinder snorted. "Well, don't keep them waiting. Wouldn't want to disappoint them," she said coldly. I looked at L for the explanation of everyone's coldness, but he never looked up to meet my eyes.

Moving away, I clenched my fists. _Why were they acting like that? Are they jealous of my friends? Oh come on, they shouldn't act so childish._ I'd expect a little from L, but not total shunning. He's probably jealous of Eli… Oh boy, I should've saw this coming. For now, they were gonna have to deal with it.

Outside, I forgot about every one of them and reconnected with my old friends. Bailey and Ryder were still a couple, not surprised. Gabe and Harper were siblings, and their new baby sister just arrived a couple weeks ago.

Then, the conversation started getting serious. "Wendy, we have an important question. It may be uncomfortable, but just hear us out." Bailey looked at me for confirmation. I nodded.

"Since you're not in Minnesota anymore, do you want us to keep doing our traditions?" she asked. Yeah… didn't expect that. I glanced into everyone's anxious eyes, hungry for my answer.

"Oh come on you guys," I said. "Don't stop our famous traditions just because I left. I want you to have fun like good old times." I leaned in. "And besides, I've spread them."

Eli laughed. "Here? You brought our fun traditions to those grumpy kids?"

"Yeah," I rubbed the back of my neck. "They're not usually like that. I think it's just different for them since you five are here."

"Oh," Ryder interjected. "So they're jealous?"

I thought for a moment. "Yep, very jealous." We laughed it off. Leading them into the forest, I gave them a tour of the gazebo and treehouse. Then, we returned to Wammy's House for a tour of my room. That's where the question came to me.

"What the heck… How did you guys get here?!"

Harper smiled, amused. "My parent's escorted us here. By plane."

Bailey and Harper pulled me onto the bed while the boys just stood across from us awkwardly. "Tell us who your crush is!" Bailey demanded eagerly.

"I don't have a crush per say…" Everyone looked at me with eager eyes. "But we're going out, I guess?" Harper and Bailey squealed at the same time, along with me. The boys rolled their eyes.

"Who?!" they asked.

"His name is…" Should I tell them his real name? What if they recognize it from local papers or the news? I decided to be cautious. "Ryuzaki," I told them.

"AWW! That's so adorable!" Bailey whined. "I wish my boyfriend had that name!" Ryder huffed and wrapped his arms around Bailey. I noticed Harper and Eli's eyes darted everywhere.

"Hey Wendy?" Eli asked me. "Can we talk in the hall… alone?" With a nod, I left everyone and followed him out the door. In the hallway, we faced each other.

Before he could start talking, I sighed. "Eli, I know you probably still have feelings for me. But I've moved on." I put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And you should too."

With a light laugh, Eli touched my hand and squeezed it. "I do still have feelings for you, but I've already moved on."

I blinked. "Aw, really? Who?" I asked, sounding like Bailey.

"Uh…" He looked down and blushed. "Harper." I squealed and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before."

Waving it away, I smiled. "It's fine. I'm just glad we're both happy."

"Also…" Trailing off, Eli pulled a white phone from his pocket that almost matched his hair color. "We all got phones!"

Back in my room, I collected everyone's number. "Finally," I said. "Now I can actually talk to you."

"Oh shush!" Harper said. "No more light talk. Let's go have some fun!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Like what?" I asked cautiously.

"Well," Eli said, leaning against Harper. "There's thick snow on the ground and everyone's got warm clothes so…" Trailing off, he smiled deviously.

"Let's go!" I cheered. Everyone piled out the door and dashed downstairs into the dining hall. Gabe opened the doors and we filed in. My new friends were still sitting at the table, sadly pecking at their food.

Gabe, and the rest, glanced at them sympathetically. "Hey guys," Gabe said quietly. "Remember when Wendy left us we were devastated. Let's ask them to join us." The others agreed happily so we marched over to them.

They looked up at us with suspicious eyes and cautious expressions. "Hey everyone," I started. Cinder lifted her head and finally met my gaze. "Wanna have a snowball fight with us?"

Smirking, Cinder stood up and said, "Absolutely," then looked to the others. Hollow's mouth formed into a quick smile. B took longer, but then he finally cracked. "Whatever. It's not like I had anything important going on anyway," he said casually.

L suddenly appeared beside me. He smiled and took my hand. Squeezing it, he yanked me with him as he sped walked outside. The others joined us and we formed teams.

"Usually we do girls versus boys," Ryder stated, "but since we're not in Minnesota, I guess we should switch it up a bit."

B and I were team captains. I chose L, Bailey, Harper, and Eli. B chose Hollow, Ryder, Gabe, and Cinder. B's team was called "The Winners" and my team was called "The Nerds."

On the right side of the house, we made our HQ. It was a tall igloo shaped snow fort with pre compacted snow balls stacked inside. The Winners' fort was on the left side of Wammy's.

Bailey and I stayed hidden while Eli, Harper, and L went out on attack. As they left, I smiled with contentment. "Aren't you a happy camper," laughed Bailey, sitting beside me in the snow.

Nodding my head, I gazed into the forest view ahead of us. The trees were dancing in the wind, colorful leaves drifting to the ground. "I am. It's good to see all of my friends, old and new, coming together like this. At first I thought you guys wouldn't see eye to eye, but this is better than expected."

Bailey smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm glad we're still friends. Promise me we always will be," she sighed.

"Of course," I said seriously. "Best friends forever." Suddenly, a snowball pounded against the front of the fort. Bailey squealed with surprise and clinged to me.

"Come out come out wherever you are," chanted Ryder. "I know you're there Bailey." Her eyes grew wide.

"Crap," she whispered. Moving away from me, she grabbed a pack of snowballs. "I'll distract him, you go and find the others." Her eyes glowed with excitement as she watched me crawl into the woods unobtrusively.

I heard a conversation between her and Ryder, but I was too far to make out words. When I knew Ryder couldn't see me, I snuck around the perimeter through the woods that obscured me.

Ahead I spotted Harper laying behind a bush. As I approached her, she jumped, holding up her snowball filled hand. Seeing me, she sighed with relief and gestured me down. "I think B's around here somewhere." On command, a snowball came flying in the air and straight for the top of my head. Harper pushed me aside so it landed on her. "Go get him," she called as I crawled away.

"Winter! Where are you hiding?" B sang tauntingly from afar. Then, I spotted him, standing against the building, snowballs in his hands. Raising my hand, I chucked my snowball at him, hitting him unexpectedly in the chest. Doing a belly flop, he lied on the ground, fake dead.

In the distance I heard Bailey scream. Then Ryder's shout of defeat. They must've gotten each other.

Eli appeared beside me. "I got everyone but Cinder," he informed me. I gulped.

"Bailey's out," I said. He nodded. "Where's L?"

"I don't know," he replied, rubbing his neck. "He just… disappeared." Just like him, preying on the enemy in hiding, then bravely making a final move. "Cinder's at their fort."

We crept around the bushes silently until we reached the enemy's fortress. Cinder stood, guarding it. She spotted us, but didn't throw a snowball. "Come get some!" she growled.

"I'm going for it," Eli informed me, and before I could stop him, he ran towards her. "Ahh!"

"Eli, no!" But it was too late. He amusingly failed to dodge the attack, instead got flug to the ground with a huff. "You idiot," I mumbled, crouching.

Cinder grinned. "This is too e-"

Suddenly, a rain of snowballs flew across the sky and into Cinder's fort, splattering over Cinder. She gaped with surprise, eyes closed. After one minute, the shots stopped. Cinder was frozen, eyes glued closed, shocked that she'd lost.

L trudged out of the trees with a snowball in his hand. "You lose," he stated to Cinder with a smirk.

"GAME OVER!" shouted Eli, springing back to life. Harper, Ryder, Gabe, B, Hollow, and Bailey ran to us from all directions, cheering and whooping with delight.

As we gathered in a circle, a shot was fired, snow pounding in my face. Spitting it out, I narrowed my eyes at L. "Really?" I asked. He nodded.

"Brrr," shivered Bailey. "Let's go inside for some hot chocolate."

No one objected.


	14. Falling Apart

**{Winter's Birthday!} Monday, December 13th**

For my birthday, I expected to wake up to balloons or something. Maybe presents in my room. Something… But no, nothing. Not even a card.

Slipping on a robe over my t-shirt and sweatpants, I snuck downstairs to breakfast. Everyone was already at the table before me, like usual. They acted casual and normal… It almost didn't seem like an act. But it had to be.

The only thing that wasn't normal was that two people were missing; A and L. Sitting down, I whistled a happy tune, awaiting my surprise. But nothing came except the snap from Cinder to shut up.

After awhile, I couldn't take it. "OK guys," I said, they all turned to me. "What's the surprise?" They looked at me like I was crazy. "Seriously, the acting can stop now."

None of their faces changed. "What the heck are you talking about?" B asked, irritated.

I laughed bitterly. "It's my birthday!" I cheered. Suddenly, their faces bursted bright red with embarrassment. That's when I knew they weren't kidding. They'd seriously forgotten my birthday. Completely.

"Are you kidding me?!" I shouted. "I reminded you two times last week!" They tried apologizing, but I brushed them away. Tears almost streamed down my face, but I held them in running to L's room.

Knocking on his door, no one answered. Giving a grunt of impatience, I pushed his door opened and bursted in. In the middle of the room, L and Wammy were engaging in a conversation, then stopped to look over at me.

Embarrassed, I raised my hands defensively and backed away. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered. "I'll just-" My body turned around and ran before I could finish the sentence.

Down the halls in ran, overwhelmed and embarrassed, wishing I hadn't woken up this morning. Outside, I let my feet guide me into the woods, towards the treehouse. It was the only place where I couldn't get hurt. Or so I thought.

I'd felt wounded, hurt that my friends didn't remember my birthday after- what, reminding them for the past couple weeks- and everything I've done for them. The act I thought was fake at first became too real. No one was the good of an actor; turning bright red at the mention of my forgotten day. Was I not obvious enough for them? Or were they too stubborn to care?

I guess I might've been overreacting, but this wasn't just my day; today was my mom's birthday too. That's the whole reason I wanted everyone to remember it, to make it special for me so I could make it special for Mom. But I guess she won't get that feeling, that gratitude of a life lived wisely.

Running through those woods, I felt the whole day coming down on me. I didn't think- I hoped it wouldn't get worse.

My tears blinded me, causing me to trip and almost fall. Stopping to wipe them away, I nudged something hanging beside me. Through my tears, I could merely make out a body. Oh no…

Swiftly rubbing my tears away, I shrieked. One of my friends; the quiet one. The kid who always read and studied 'till he couldn't function. The one who was in line to be L's successor, A, had a rope tied to his neck, hanging from a tree. With a hard pull, I yanked the rope off the tree causing him to fall to the ground. Untying the rope from his neck, I didn't even bother to check for a pulse.

Taped to the red shirt on his chest, a single piece of paper. With trembling hands, I ripped it off him. More tears fell as my eyes skimmed the paper:

 **To whoever it may concern,**

 **I am sorry for the trouble I've caused you all, and for the stress I laid upon myself. I can no longer bare the responsibility of being a wise successor; too much work went into it, stress built up inside of me that I desired to let go.**

 **So, this is my goodbye letter to my friends; I would also like to say a few words of importance, if I may (which I shall for it is my letter):**

 **B; please don't be angry. I did not wish to bring you sorrow, only to relieve myself of it. Please know that I am happier where I will be.**

 **Cinder; I know you haven't been very much fond of me, but I found it in myself to take interest upon you and your unique personality.**

 **Hollow; though I did not know you very long, I am proud to call you my friend. You made your way into our group and we welcomed you. I thank you for giving me the pleasure of knowing you.**

 **L; I was truly honored to be your top successor, but sad to say that it wasn't meant for me. I simply couldn't handle the responsibility of it, and if I couldn't handle that then how was I to handle anything else in this world. Stay safe and protect Winter.**

 **Winter; from the first day I met you, I adored you. Such a wild and friendly personality that drawed interest in me. Please know that I want you to remember me and always hold me close to your heart, for I know you will. Also, please follow your heart. As confusing as the times may be, know that your heart is your only guide.**

 **Again, very sorry for this inconvenience. I bid you all farewell and happy days in my last note. My death note.**

Death note… I hated those words. I hated the way he said sorry to everyone, but killed himself anyway. I hated that I never noticed how stressed he was when we were together.

I hated that I blacked out just then.

* * *

I awoke with such a fright that I fell out of the bed I was in. My bed. My previous outfit from this morning was still on me. Was it this morning? How long had I been out?

Scrambling up from the floor, I glided to L's room. Without knocking, I barged in. No one was there. In fact, _nothing_ was there, no furniture, not L's mattress, and even his laptop was gone. Oh no…

Leaving the room in a rush, I frantically ran downstairs. The dining hall was empty, but I could hear the laughter of kids conversing in their rooms. Good, I wasn't alone. But where were my friends?

More importantly, what happened to A? How did I get back in my bed? Was it all a dream? To find out, I ran outside, planning to scour the woods for A's body. But when I opened the doors, I saw Cinder. She was crying softly in her hands.

"Cinder, what happened?" I asked with full concern, coming up to her. When she saw me, even more tears came out. For the first time since I'd known her, I saw Cinder cry.

"I s-so sorry Winter," she said through sobs. "We forgot and then A disappeared and-" her voice was cut off by her cries. I put my arms around my friend.

"What happened?" I asked slowly. After awhile, her sobs disappeared and she began taking shaky breaths.

"L ran after you, and found you beside A's body. Bringing the two of you back, he put you in your room," she said, trying to stay calm.

"And A?"

"Wammy took him somewhere, I don't know. All I know is that everyone was informed a kid died and B got pissed when we found out it was A."

A must've known he'd get made if he told him not to in the note. "Where's L?" I asked frantically. Her eyes refused to meet mine. "Is he in town?" I asked, shooting questions at her. "Did he go back to the woods? Did he bury A's body?"

"No," her voice came out hoarse and scratchy. Clearing her throat, she finally locked eyes with mine. "He left for good."

"What?!" I exploded with unbelieve. Backing away, I brushed my hands through my hair. "How did- Where did- How long?" Questions stormed through my brain.

With a sigh, she looked into the distance sadly. "After A died, he decided to leave. I heard him and Wammy talking about leaving the orphanage for L to expand his career, whatever it was." She took a deep breath. "Your grandpa's gone too. Together they left, leaving Roger in full charge. He was supposed to tell you when you got up, but it hasn't been too long so I guess he wasn't expecting you up already."

I searched for words, plenty consumed my brain. _How could he leave me? Especially after our friend died! Why did Wammy go? How could they expect me to take all this? I can't believe this!_ I was furious.

Suddenly, the doors behind us opened and B shoved past us. "Where are you going?" called Cinder.

B stopped, but didn't turn around. "Anywhere but here. I can't stand another minute at this place."

I shook my head. "B, just think about this. You can't just leave!"

"I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do to stop me," he said defiantly. A cold wind blew between us. "One day, everyone will know the name Beyond Birthday." With that, he ran off into the woods and disappeared.

Temptation snapped in me to go after him, but what's the use? B (or Beyond, apparently) has made up his mind and there's no stopping that idiot. I just hope he doesn't screw up his life.

"I can't believe this is happening," I said. My whole world was coming down on me.

"We should go back inside, maybe talk about this tomorrow," Cinder suggested. As she went to open the door, I stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I can't," I said hollowly. Her eyes darted across mine, looking for some sort of explanation.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly, furrowing her brows.

Taking away my hand, I crossed my arms and looked away. "I'm not going back. I can't stay here anymore."

"Why?" Cinder questioned furiously. "You can't just run away!"

"I can't stay here either!" I remarked loudly. "This place holds too many memories." Alive and broken, my feet dragged me away from Cinder. "I'm gathering my things and leaving."

Her face was solemn and weary. "Where will you go? You don't have anyone to turn to. Think about it…"

"I'll live on the streets. Anywhere but here," I said.

And I meant it.

* * *

 **Epilogue… End of Part 1**

With packed bags, a sizable amount of money, and a new aspiration, I set out on the streets of England. Being the granddaughter of Wammy, Roger wouldn't let me go that easily. So, I had to sneak out of Winchester and onto a bus with a course set for London. That's where I'd stay for a lot of my life.

In London, I was able to buy just enough food so I'd neither starve nor waste my money. Then, a miracle came and whisked me off my feet. The owner of a small cafe welcomed me with open arms.

Her name was Alma, an elderly lady with a heart of gold. She allowed me to rent a room from her, and my payment was a full time job at her cafe, without pay. Seemed fair enough.

Alma and I lived alone. We'd watch each other's backs and kept each other in line. I came to be very fond of her, almost like my mother with the body of my grandmother. I was 17 years old when Alma passed peacefully in her sleep.

Unknown until after her death, Alma held a wealthy inheritance. She'd asked for the money to be given to me in her will since I was the only person left who was like family.

Keeping Alma's memory alive, I ran the cafe by myself while juggling school. After graduating an online high school, college came next. I worked my next years hard, constantly busy. But it was all worth it.

At the age of 21, I finished college and finally started my job; being a detective. In London, I worked as a detective solving cases and manning the cafe. My life was content and my hard labor paid off.

Then, one day, all of that changed. My seemingly normal life that I'd finally repaired since Wammy's shifted entirely when I got the knock on my door on one early morning.

It was a wild adventure from there.

 **To Be Continued… (soon!)**


	15. Breakout

**Part 2**

 **August**

 **3:44 a.m.**

I was sleeping in my cozy bed when I heard a knock downstairs that awakened me with a fright. Nervous sweat rolled down my face as I slid out of bed and crept downstairs with stealth.

Upon reaching the door, I grabbed my umbrella and held it up defensively. Whoever was out there better be prepared to get whooped in the-

"Open up!" came the familiar voice outside my door. Tossing the useless umbrella away, I stumbled to open it, coming face to face with Cinder.

"Cinder?" I asked unbelievably. Ten years had gone by since I'd seen her youthful face. Even in the moonlight I could sense her liveliness, full toned and brimmed with beauty. "What are you doing here?" I asked, giving her a brief hug.

Suddenly, her face grew full of mystery. "Did you hear about Kira?" she asked with a tone I couldn't decipher.

"Yes," I replied quickly. "It's the only thing I've been hearing about." Kira was the mysteries killer punishing criminals for "justice" but he had no logical reasoning.

"Have you heard about Beyond?" she asked, skipping over the first topic. Again, I said yes. Beyond had been dubbed a killer, creating the LABB Murder Cases that involved Belief Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash. How did I know this? Ever since I'd gotten into the detective branch, I'd made sure to keep tabs on him in case he popped up.

And he had.

"You still haven't answered my question," I said, irritated by all her random questions.

She slid her long ginger hair out of her face and smiled deviously. "We're gonna break Beyond out of prison and delete him from life!"

"Goodnight!" I said, trying to shut the door in her face as if to wipe away her crazy plan. But Cinder butted her foot in the door before I could. "Come in then," I said urgently.

Inside, we sat on my white sofa. Turning on the lights, I made sure the windows and doors were locked, and the curtains were closed. As I did so, Cinder looked at me strangely. "What's wrong with you?" she snorted.

Shifting awkwardly towards her, I sighed, searching over my shoulder. "I'm a little cautious," I replied slowly.

My only problem is people. They're unpredictable these days; I didn't want to take any risks. What Cinder was planning was way out of my comfort zone, as a girl and a detective.

With a satisfied sigh, I sat down next to my old friend. "So," she began. "How've you been?"

"I'm a detective now," I replied, looking at the floor. "Still friends with everyone from Minnesota. My life's been… unique." After telling her about Alma and my career, she smiled genuinely at me.

"Sounds interesting," she replied after a moment. "Glad things turned out good." A distant look filled her face as she looked away.

"What's with you?" I inquired quietly.

"Well," she began. "After you left, Hollow and I grew closer. He's like a brother to me now, helped me through the loss and tragedy." Silence floated between, but only briefly. "Then, we discovered what Beyond did. Couldn't believe it."

I nodded. "Me either. A's death really hurt him," I said with solace. "And us."

"We hatched a plan to delete all his information from the internet and break him out of prison. For the good of our friendship," she said with a triumphant smile, chin held high.

"You and your loco plans," I mumbled. Raising an eyebrow, she hummed. "What?" I whined. "I just don't feel comfortable doing that."

"Please!" she begged. "This could help our friendship!"

"Why were you asking about Kira?" I inquired, trying to change the subject.

"L's working the case, you know." I nodded slowly, breaking our eye contact to lower my eyes. "We need to see him."

Shaking my head violently, I returned our stare. "He deserted us without any goodbye! How could he?!"

Cinder shrugged. "Maybe you should ask him…" she trailed off deviously. Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms in thought. _Should I? It wouldn't hurt to see him, even for one more time. I do really want an explanation after ten whole years, maybe even talk to Wammy._

As Cinder was about to argue against my decision, I stood up. "I'll do it," I said. "Let's go break Beyond out of prison."

* * *

The plane ride from England to California was awhile. During the time I was able to contact my boss and request my unused vacation time.

Hollow was already inside the facility; he'd been accused of stealing and (with the help of a hacker at Wammy's) was able to get the cell right by Beyond. I wonder how B reacted when he saw Hollow.

If the plan was working, then Hollow should've told Beyond the plan of escaping: Cinder and I would enter at visiting hours and visit both of them. Then the facility would "mysteriously" get breached, leaving all the guards unarmed and the doors wide open just long enough for the four of us to escape. From there we would take a taxi to the airport and use our four bought tickets to a hotel in Tokyo. This plan was completely planned out to the very end.

My hair had dirty blonde highlights and I was wearing blue contacts, but I was also wearing sunglasses. Also, I was wearing leggings and a short blue dress. Cinder was wearing a green shirt and jeans with sunglasses and other disguises.

Getting inside was pretty easy. The guards didn't expect us of being suspicious. We'd made it to the visiting area, then all that was left to do was wait.

Finally, I saw him being taken in. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit, and so was the person being escorted next to him. Beyond Birthday and Hollow. Faces that I didn't expect to see.

When they spotted us at the table, their faces grew bright and friendly. Before sitting down, we gave them each a brief hug. "Well well, Winter. Finally came crawling to us," Beyond said teasingly.

"Whatever," I replied, trying to sound defiant, but actually sounding too happy. "It's good to see you Beyond. You too Hollow." Hollow whipped his ginger hair and smiled at me.

"Long time no see Winter," he said charmingly, his British accent was full and lively. "Glad to see you're okay."

For awhile, while we were waiting for the security to be breached, each of us recalled our lives within the last ten years. Beyond's was sad and desperate, on the run, killing people. I'm surprised that the fact my friend killed people didn't bother me; I was able to overlook that for him. I was able to overlook the past sins of a friend because… well, because he was my friend.

Hollow and Cinder spent their ten lives bonding at Wammy's. Roger still ran the place. Since neither of them had anywhere to go, they stayed and helped him run Wammy's.

I'd told them my life. No one knew what L or Wammy was going through. All we knew is that we had to see him again. Maybe we could work on the Kira case together, I was a detective after all.

Finally, fifteen minutes after we'd arrived, the alarm sounded off. All the doors automatically unlocked, allowing the four of us to slip through easily. It took us ten more minutes to get to the taxi and escape.

"The kid back at Wammy's house should've deleted everything about the three of us by now," explained Cinder.

After exchanging Hollow and Beyond's jail clothes with normal ones, we arrived at the airport with ease. No one would recognize the three people beside me.

Next thing I knew we were on the plane to Tokyo. Tokyo that had detectives, the world famous detective, my grandfather, Kira, and a new adventure.

 _Time to see L again after 10 years. I hope it turns out good. Oh boy..._


	16. Reuniting With L

I felt poke at my face, waking me up the next morning. Beyond was laid next to me, poking my cheek in an attempt to awaken me. Groaning, I rolled over. He grunted.

"Winter, wake up," he urged quietly. Begrudgingly, I forced myself to open my eyes again and crawl out of bed. Without a word, I showered, got dressed, and made breakfast.

Hollow, Cinder, and Beyond were sitting in bar stools at the island, watching me with amusement as I stumbled over to the coffee pot and began making coffee.

"What's up with you?" asked Cinder, studying my every move. "It's like you're a zombie."

With a loud grunt, I ignored her. They didn't know that I barely sleep on weekdays because of my full time job. Pouring myself some coffee, I sat down on the stool next to her. "It's called work," I huffed out before resting my eyes.

She snorted carelessly. "Do you ever sleep?"

"Not a lot." Beyond and Hollow snickered. I leaned across Cinder to glare at them. "What?"

They shared knowing glances. "Seems like you've got a lot in common with a certain insomniac we know." Keeping my still glare, I sipped my coffee slowly. Maybe I did have things in common with L, if he still doesn't sleep.

After awhile, I was able to function more properly, my body finally came to life. We gathered in the living room and planned our next move. "How are we gonna find L?"

"He's most likely working with the NPA," Beyond said. "That's the biggest police station in town."

"Maybe we should stop by and check it out," suggested Hollow.

"What about the detectives?" asked Cinder. "Do we want to reveal our identities to them?"

"Why not?" I said. "Anyways, we wouldn't tell them our names. All we'd do is find L or Wammy."

"From there?" asked Beyond. Everyone looked at me like I was making the final decision. They think of me as the leader.

"From there," I said with an unsure smile, "we wing it."

* * *

"We've got new clothes, fake identities, and sunglasses to top it off. Satisfactory disguises," I stated to everyone as we were walking to the NPA.

Beyond snorted. "I can't believe you put red highlights in my hair."

"Aw come on," I laughed. "It looks cool."

"It looks prissy." Cinder laughed lightly at Beyond. He put his arm around her waist and smirked. Hollow gaged and I laughed.

Hollow now had a tinge of blue highlights at the bottom of his hair stands. His accent hadn't changed a bit over the years, his voice deeper. Beyond looked the same, besides the highlights, as well as Cinder.

After awhile, the large police building came into view. Taking a long, deep breath, I led my friends into the building, hope and nervousness flowing inside me.

Only a single clerk sat behind the the long, narrow reception desk. The three of us waltzed casually up to it and smiled. He looked up from his computer and observed us suspiciously. "What can I do for you?"

Clearing my throat, I chose my words carefully. "May we speak with L or someone close to him?" Cinder rolled her eyes like _Really? That was the best you could come up with?_

The man behind the desk laughed bitterly. "Anything else? Would you like me to set you up on a meeting with the president?" His cruelty made me clench my fists.

"We're serious," I snapped at him. Rolling his eyes, he ignored us. Sighing, I grunted. "Is there anyone else, maybe the Chief or someone, we could speak with?"

"They're in a meeting" was his bored reply.

A meeting? We glanced at each other thinking the same thing. There was a strong possibility that L was in that meeting. If not, then someone connected to L. We needed to find out.

I gave them a nod to distract the clerk. Cinder leaned over the counter and sighed dramatically. "Isn't there anything you can do kind sir?" Oh gosh, she's so… "We really need this."

Without looking up, he snorted. "You and every other person wanting to know L's identity." We exchanged glances. _We already know L's identity._

Cinder glared at the man. "Screw you!" She turned to me and said, "Run!" The man immediately snapped his head up at her words and stared at me. I ran past the desk and down the hall.

His loud voice trailed behind me. "Stop! Stop running lady!" This goes against everything I signed up for when I became apart of the law. Oh well, it was worth it.

I noticed a sign on a wide door that said, "Meeting Room" so I opened it. A strange yet familiar voice flooded out. "...It suggests that given the times of death, our suspect could very well be a student…"

Skidding to a stop, I froze. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me with wide eyes. "Who let you in?" an elderly man asked, standing up. I gulped.

"Uh, your clerk?" On command, the clerk guy came rushing in.

"I am so sorry Chief," he apologized looking at the man who just spoke. Chief. "She just ran past me and I couldn't stop her."

Behind him came my three amigos. They laughed. "Dude," Beyond said, patting the clerk's shoulder, "you aren't very bright for someone working at a police station." The clerk fumed, which made them laugh even harder.

"Wonderland?" asked the strange, now very familiar, voice. I froze again, feet glued to the ground. Then, I turned around to see a man, in a disguise, holding a laptop with an "L" plastered throughout the whole screen.

"It's really you, isn't it?" I asked, smiling slightly. After all these years. In that moment, I came to the realization that the man holding the laptop was my grandfather, especially when he chuckled.

Beyond smirked. "Happy reunion," he said, strapping onto Cinder. Hollow smiled.

"Yes," I said, suddenly through gritted teeth. "A happy reunion to a horrible goodbye," I said, glaring at the screen.

"What's going on here?" asked the Chief.

"Mr. Yagami," came L's distorted voice, "these are my acquaintances. Cinder, Hollow, B, and Winter." I cringed at the word "acquaintances" because I was more than that to him. Key word: was.

"In that case, do you need some time…?" Mr. Yagami trailed off.

"Yes, I think we're done for today," L agreed. "Meeting adjourned." Then, the "L" disappeared.

Wammy led us to his limo and began driving. Feeling the soft touch of the leather seats brought back the memories I'd spent in this limo, or one like it.

"I'll be taking you four to L's hotel," Wammy stated from the front seat. "Oh, and pleased to see you all again." His eyes fell on Beyond, who smiled sheepishly. I guess Grandfather knew what we'd done with Beyond.

At a tall, classy hotel, we were led up the elevator to a floor where Wammy then escorted us down the narrow hallway. Finally we stopped at a door, which he held open for us so we walked right in.

"He requests to see Winter first, if that's alright," Wammy told us when we were sat down. The rest nodded for me to go. Cinder and Beyond chilled on the couch while Hollow went to the bathroom.

Wammy directed me to a certain door. Before I went inside, I hugged him. "I missed you Wammy," I told him.

With a chuckle, he returned the hug. "I missed you too. By the way, I would request that you and your friends call me Watari from now one, just to be safe," With a nod, I pushed through the door and shut it behind me.

The inside room reminded me of L's old room. Man, that brought back a lot of memories. Like the first time I met L; crashing into his room with Cinder. I missed those times, but I also don't. Like apart of me is here, living in the present and doesn't need the past.

Truth be told, I need L.

My gaze fell on the figure hunched over the laptop in his unique position. L. His head lifted up to look at me, squinting to see me in the dark room. I rose the dim of the lights just enough so that we could see each other clearly.

He hadn't changed one bit. Same white shirt, same baggy jeans. No shoes.

I was wearing a long blue shirt and jeans. Regular old me.

His eyes scanned me thoroughly, eyes glowing. The once thin black lines that laid under his eyes were thicker than I remembered. My heart beat faster, butterflies forming in my stomach. I can't explain how much I missed him. Badly.

An invisible force between us dragged me to the ground next to him. Lowering my eyes, I sighed and asked the question that I'd been pondering for ten years. "Why? Why did you just leave me?"

Clearing his throat, L shifted. "I am sorry Winter. It wasn't my intention to hurt you. Everyone decided that it was for the best, the way things were going and after what happened."

A had died because of the pressure of being L's successor. I never thought about how L must've felt, knowing that a kid killed himself trying to live up to L.

"I'm sorry too," I mumbled.

"For what?" he inquired curiously.

"For being pissed at you all those years. I never thought that-" I didn't realize that I'd started crying. I don't even know why, it was like the past caught up to me and I'm crying out all the tears that should've came out them.

I didn't realize L had pulled me into a hug, cuddling me, stroking my hair while I cried softly. Ever since we were young, he's always been a great listener.

Now, resting in his hold, I felt peaceful. Kira was out there, somewhere, and I knew, as a fellow detective, I would get involved. But for now, I wanted peace. I wanted to feel content and comforted by the fact that someone cared for me.

And I did. And that someone was L. Wiping away my tears, I rose to meet his face, then kissed his cheek, showing him that I cared. Falling back into his arms, I closed my eyes.

The last thing I felt before falling asleep was the soft hands of L still holding onto me, protecting me.


	17. Catch My Breath

_OK, I'm gonna try and make sure the times are correct and the dates are on track, but don't mind if I mess up. Keep reading!_

* * *

"Are you sure about this L?" asked Hollow from the chair on the other side of the coffee table we were sitting around. With a small nod, L sipped his tea.

"This may be risky, but I am desperate," L admitted to us. I sat on the couch along with Cinder and Beyond. "I must let the Task Force work with us."

"At least you've narrowed down the officers you could trust," I commented. He nodded and stared at nothing in particular, lost in thought. Glancing at Cinder, I could tell what she was thinking: _I hope he's doing the right thing._

A knock at the door startled us, L popping out of his gaze to call them in. He ambled over to the door and watched them as they walked in. I noticed Mr. Yagami from the NPA.

"I am L." Scratching the back of his neck, L looked down and awaited their response. Everyone exchanged surprised glances.

"Oh come on," I said, walking up beside L. "It's not that surprising." Mr. Yagami's eyes widened at me.

"You're the girl from the station. The one who-"

"The one who barged in for no liable pretext," I finished for him. "Yes, that was me." I'd learned to act more sophisticated and calm around people during my years in college. That time at the NPA didn't count.

Looking at L, they began showing their badges one by one, stating their names. Mr. Yagami, Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi, and Ukita.

"Bang!" L interrupted Mr. Yagami's sentence to form his hand to look like a gun and pretend to shoot the Chief. Everyone, except me, gasped with surprise.

"What the hell was that?" asked Aizawa.

L grunted softly. "If I were Kira, you'd be dead Mr. Soichiro Yagami, Chief of the NPA." I stifled a laugh. "Kira needs a face and a name in order to commit murder. But I'm pretty sure you've already figured that much out, haven't you?"

I walked past L into the other room and pulled a chair up next to his. I made Hollow add another chair for the others, then sit down with Cinder and Beyond.

"Please turn off all your cell phones, handhelds, and any other communication devices and leave them on the table right there," L instructed.

Aizawa stepped forward. "What, do you think we're gonna be using our cell phones during this meeting to leak information?" Mr. Yagami assured him down.

"Jeesh, that guy's a jerk," muttered Cinder as L came back to us.

"No, I just find it very distracting. I can't stand it when people's cell phones are ringing while I'm trying to talk." I smiled inwardly, knowing I had my phone in my pocket on high.

In the kitchen, while the others were out discussing the case, I made myself coffee. Then, I heard L's voice calling to me, "Winter, out of sugar." With a half smile, I pulled out the sugar for him while waiting for my coffee. Then, I listened to their conversation.

"I suspect Kira had to be one of the people being investigated by the FBI between the 14th and the 19th of December. In fact I have no doubt." No doubt. So far, Kira was a student who was being investigated by the FBI. Shouldn't be that hard to find.

I heard a collective sigh of admiration and some shuffling. "These are files collected by the FBI and they contain additional information you might find useful. For obvious reasons, you're not permitted to take these of of this room but-"

"Amazing!" Matsuda suddenly outburst. "There might only be five of us, but with this information could cover a lot of ground!" Oh Matsuda, what about five other people you didn't mention? Hollow, Beyond, Cinder, L, and me? Jeesh, thanks for including us.

The detectives began talking again about the Kira case. My coffee was done so I took it out, put it in a hard plastic bottle, and returned to L with his sugar. "So," L asked, narrowed eyed and obviously peeved off at Matsuda, "does anyone have any questions?"

"Are we helping?" I asked, handing him the bowl of more sugar cubes. With a nod, he eagerly took the bowl and began putting more sugar into his cup. Mr. Yagami started asking a question that made everyone watch L.

"Does the fact that you've shown your face lost? By just being here are you admitting defeat to Kira?"

L looked up, past Mr. Yagami and past the heads of everyone else. "That's right. By showing my face to you now and by sacrificing the lives of 12 FBI agents, I have lost the battle." He was silent for a moment. "But I'm not gonna lose the war."

His speech was making me smile and have my heart ache at the same time.

"This is the first time I've ever put my life on the line. I want to show Kira that we're all willing to to risk our lives if that's what it takes." His blank face turned into a cute smile that made me want to cuddle him. "And that justice will prevail no matter what."

Everyone agreed with open minds and eager smiles. Hope filled their eyes. _I had my doubts of whether or not the Task Force would trust L and believe him, but that's all wiped away. L, my hero, will prevail._

L decided that he'd need to question everyone to make sure they weren't Kira. Aizawa was a little harsh at first, but he, along with everyone else, thought it was fair.

I stood by the window and stared down at the innocent city, once full of live and action, now reigned with fear and terror. I didn't want this to keep happening, Kira needed to be stopped.

L came up beside me and continued to gaze out with me. Kira would slip up, no person could keep this going forever. We needed something, only one thing, that could lead us to finding him.

I sighed. L bit his thumbnail. "Just one thing," we whispered in unison.

* * *

Late that night, I sat on L's bed working on a crossword while awaiting L's return. At the moment he was still questioning the Task Force members to see if they're Kira. So far, none of them were.

Hollow, Beyond, and Cinder were in the hotel room across from us. They didn't want to be crowded and needed the privacy. They tempted me to join them, but I yearned for time alone with L so I declined. Now they were probably in bed, sleeping, because they'd left an hour ago.

"A secret love affair?" I wondered aloud. "Five letters." As I hummed, thinking, L appeared beside me.

"Amour," he whispered in my ear, causing me to blush. I quickly wrote it down. "Are you done yet?" he wondered.

"Yes, if you want me to be," I replied, flipping through the pages to find another puzzle. Taking the book from my hand, he laid it on the nightstand.

"I would like to talk," he told me, crouching next to me on the bed. I twirled my hair that was in a ponytail.

"Okay, what about?"

"About the last ten years," he said. I suspected he'd want to know. So, I repeated the story I'd told my friends, about what I'd done, where I went, and what happened after I'd left Wammy's.

After I was done, L recalled his past life. I wasn't surprised to learn he'd traveled around the world, solving cases and becoming the world's best detective. Most of that I knew from other people, but then he told me private matters.

"I also claimed the titles of Eraldo Coil and Deneuve," he said, looking at me solemnly.

"Really?" I smiled. "So now you're the three best detectives ever."

He'd engaged a conversation with me about his thoughts on the Kira case, things he hadn't mentioned to the others. "We're coming very close," he finished. "We only need one thing."

"Kira has…" I trailed off with a sigh. "A horrible sense of justice. Childlike, actually. I bet he thinks he could be god of some messed up new world with better people."

"Yes," L agreed. "This is very much stressful for me. Would you like some cake?"

I smiled brightly. "You haven't changed a bit Panda," I told him, jumping out of bed. We crept past the others and into the kitchen where we snuck cake back to his room.

On his bed we sat and ate our cake, recalling memories of our lives at Wammy's. "Remember the time Beyond and Hollow released snakes into the facility," he said. I recoiled and cringed.

"Yes!" I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "I couldn't believe the nerve of those two! Who would keep snakes as pets anyways?" He laughed slightly while taking a bite of his strawberry cake.

"Remember our first date?" he asked quietly, with a slight blush.

"The one on the roof?" I asked.

"The time when Beyond and Cinder kidnapped us and discarded us in the woods."

"Oh, yeah," I said, recollecting the memory. "And all because I'd set them up on a date."

L leaned closer. "Remember when we laid on the ground and looked up at the stars…" His eyes glowed while mine twinkled with the memory. Not much has changed since then, but I seem more like L now: thoughtful, intelligent, and sassy when I needed to be. In retrospect, I don't know if I ever saw L's sassy side. But everyone has one.

L took my plate of cake and placed in on the nightstand before leaning even closer to my face. "I truly am sorry about my departure," he explained. "I didn't-"

Before he could say anything else, I put my hand around his neck and pulled him into a warm kiss. Our lips connected and didn't let go for awhile. But then we immediately connected after a brief breath. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.

"I missed you Wonderland," he whispered.

"I missed you, too, Panda," I whispered back.

* * *

We'd been working on the Kira case for a little while now, receiving fake ID's and belts to use in case of emergency. During the whole time I've worked alongside L, aiding him in whatever he wanted me to do. The other night's… kissing… was all that we shared, nothing more came between us, but mostly because we'd been working our butts off.

Currently, the other three were in their rooms getting ready to head over to our room. All the detectives were here and still working. Now we were discussing the matter of Raye Penber, found dead at a bus station platform, cause of death: heart attack.

All signs lead to Kira, especially after he exits the train and suddenly dies on the platform. L notices that he's holding an envelope when he boards the train, but it's gone when he gets off, inferring that he gave it to someone. Also, it seems he struggles to look back at someone on the train before he dies.

My three friends weren't there yet. I walked into the kitchen and poured my coffee. Even before I walked out, I heard the sentence that made me freeze. "Raye Penber's fiance...Naomi Misora… Well, apparently she's been missing since the day after her fiance died."

Running into the room, I groaned. "This is… oh, wow. Um, L?" I handed him my coffee and ran out the door and into Cinder's hotel room. The three were gathered in the kitchen drinking their coffee.

When I came in, the stared at me. "What is it?" asked Hollow, concerned.

I looked at Beyond. _The_ Beyond Birthday. Beyond Birthday of the LABB Murder Cases. The case that Naomi MIsora solved. The Naomi Misora who's missing. Who disappeared right after the death of her fiance, Raye Penber. The same Raye Penber who was killed by Kira. How did all of that circulate?

"I don't know how you're going to react," I told him cautiously. He stared at me. "But Naomi Misora is missing in Tokyo." His eyes went wide and he scrambled past me.

We followed him into the main hotel room. "Beyond, think rationally!" I called after him.

Confronting L, he asked, "Is it true? Is Naomi Misora in Tokyo? Missing?" I could hear the excitement rise in his voice. Oh crap. This isn't good.

Handing me my coffee back, L narrowed his eyes. I blushed. "Sorry," I said.

"Yes, it is true." He looked at Hollow and Cinder. "Please keep him in his room and watch him at all times." Turning back to B, a tiny smirk grew upon his face. "We don't want you to go on another killing spree again."


	18. Meeting the Suspect

_Thanks for all the positive reviews! I hope you like this!_

* * *

For the last day or two, L has brushed me away, hiding in a room with Mr. Yagami. Of course I understand, he's working on the Kira case, no need for me to get involved.

Though lately I've been feeling unwanted by him. Whenever I'm around him, he's quiet and strange for some reason, very unlike the L I knew, or at least the L that was around me when we were alone. He's changed.

And I don't like it. I need to uncover the new L, see what interests him nowadays, learn about his hobbies. Connect with the one I was meant to be with.

BUT… for now, I was sick of being cooped up in the hotel with no one to talk to, since L was too busy for me. A serene, luxurious walk was what I need. Tokyo was the perfect place for that.

The trees were faintly blowing in the feeble wind, the air fresh, yet, chilled. My (new) black overcoat kept me warm, like a cozy sanctuary just for me.

Turning the corner, I came face to face with a gang of college boys. Oh great, they looked like trouble.

One was medium and short, red curly hair and golden eyes. Another was dark skinned with flat, brown hair. The guy in the middle was tall and sort of a mixture of his two goons, tan skin and red hair. All of them were wearing uniforms.

The curly haired one gave a perverted smile. "Aww, look at her. She's so cute." I frowned and tried to move past them. The dark hair one grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back.

"You aren't going anywhere," he said with a twisted smile. Jeesh, was I gonna have to beat him up like I did with that one guy on Halloween ten years ago, or the wolf I killed on my first date with L? I pick-

Neither. The middle guy pulled out a gun when I clenched my fists. "Don't even think about it," he said with a sneer.

As much as I'd love to beat the crap out of these perverts, I decided to avoid confrontation so I wouldn't get shot. Whipping around in the direction I came, I bolted down the sidewalk, the three idiots behind me.

The streets seemed desolate and vacant, us four were the only people around. One of them grabbed my arm and yanked me down, my face pounding against the sidewalk.

Gasping, he pulled me back and shoved the gun into my temple. It was the dark skinned one. I raised my foot and kicked him in "the area" then scrambled up.

He cursed, falling to the ground in pain. The curly haired one grunted and lunged at me. Slapping him hard in the face, he threw his fingers against my delicate face, searing his fingernails into my skin.

I shrieked with pain. shoving him off of me and onto the ground. My feet led me away in a run, but the tall one was still trailing me. Crossing the empty street, I glanced over my shoulder to see him aim the gun at me just as I reached the other side.

The tall one stood in the middle of the seemingly deserted road, aiming his gun at me and prepared to shoot. From the right, a truck honked loudly and slammed into the guy causing his body to be flung into the air.

As the truck zoomed on by, the guy's dead body laid in the middle of the street. When his two friends saw the scene, they ran away with horrified faces.

Sitting on the curb, I wiped the sweat off my bloody face. It's funny how a random truck could just appear out of thin air when no one was in sight. I didn't even think anyone actually used the road.

But it happened, and saved my life. I don't know if I should be happy or scared. Or both.

"Are you okay?" asked a voice from behind me. I turned my head aside and upward to stare into the face of a charming guy, much unlike the ones I'd just encountered. "I saw what just happened. You were really brave."

He held out his hand for me to take, and I did. Helping me up, he glanced at the messy blood covering my face. "It's fine," I said, looking away. " _I'm_ fine."

"It doesn't look like you are," he said with a frown.

"It doesn't hurt, I swear."

"Still, I think you should come home with me so I can get you cleaned up. You look like a mess," he told me with a light laugh.

Thinking for a moment, I hesitated. Can I trust him? "What's your name?" I inquired at the brown haired boy with hazel eyes.

"Light," he replied with a firm face. "Light Yagami."

As we entered his house, Light called out, "I'm home and I've brought someone with me."

No answer.

Slipping our shoes off, Light lead me upstairs to the bathroom. Inside he wiped the blood off my face with a washcloth. "Don't worry," I told him when I saw Light studying my scarred face. "I can deal with it."

"Does this happen often?" he asked teasingly. Rolling my eyes, I stood still as he finished wiping my face. After applying an antibiotic cream, Light led me to his room.

I noticed he hesitated a moment before opening the door. Inside, he dropped his bag on the bed and moved to his desk. From it he grabbed a tube of cream. "This will help lessen the pain and make it heal faster," he told me, putting the tube in my hands. I thanked him and slipped it into my overcoat pocket.

Light stood still for awhile, observing me steadily, scanning my face and letting out a small hum. "What?" I finally asked, stifling a confused laugh.

"How old are you?" he wondered. "I'm guessing 22 or older."

"24," I replied. "Too old for you."

Immediately, Light began blushing furiously. "No, I wasn't thinking that! Honest! I just-"

Laying a hand on his shoulder, I smiled at the Chief's son. "I'm teasing you," I laughed. Light cracked a smile. Leading me out the door, Light stopped to adjust a tiny slip of paper in the door. "Why do you do that?"

Getting up, he guided me down the stairs. "Just so I know if anyone's entered my room without permission. Mostly my sister," he replies. I nod. Outside, Light shuts the door and locks it. "Do you need me to walk you home?"

"No, it's fine," I quickly reply. "You probably have somewhere else to be anyway." He shakes his head and begins to speak, but I cut him off. "It's fine, really. You've already done enough. I'll just be on my way."

Before I left, I gave Light a peck on the cheek for what he did. Honestly, it was nothing more than a token of my gratitude. At least L won't know about it.

* * *

"Light Yagami? I can't believe you were with Light Yagami." L's voice is as cold as steel. Staring at me from the tip of his bed, he narrowed his eyes.

"How did you know?" I asked him, folding my arms.

Biting his thumbnail, L sighed. "Previously, Watari set up video cameras and wiretaps in the Yagami household for surveillance."

"What?!" I exploded. "So that's how you knew, you were spying?" I couldn't believe he'd go to great lengths for what? That was actually a good question. "Why?"

L shifts, refusing to speak, but his eyes lift to my scarred face. My eyes plead to his round, soft ones. He knew I couldn't stay in the dark any longer. We were in this together whether he liked it or not.

"Alright," he finally murmured. "I suppose you should finally be let in." L explained to me that the death of FBI agent Raye Penber sparked interest in the families he was previously investigating, one including the Yagami's. They set up those cameras and wiretaps to observe the family and see if they could be Kira.

"I think," L finishes, "that Light Yagami might be Kira. No, in fact I have no doubt that he is. I just need proof."

Absorbing the information, I sighed. With a light laugh, I sat next to L and leaned against him. "I'm sorry L," I apologized. "If I'd have known you think Light is Kira then I wouldn't have gone with him." Looking into his eyes, I gave him puppy dog eyes. "Do you forgive me?"

Wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close, he laid a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Of course Wonderland, I forgive you."

* * *

"I can't believe I went to that pervert's house!" I muttered contemptuously at Light, staring at the magazines.

"You were at our house?" asked Mr. Yagami.

"Long story. Explain later," L cut in. We were watching footage of Light in his room doing normal teenage boy things. At least I hope it's not normal, but I have no doubt it is.

A knock on the door startled us. I opened it up revealing my three friends tedious looking faces. "We're bored," stated B. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. "Humor us." I heard L give a small chuckle as my friends led me away into the hallway.

"I was kind of in the middle of something important," I told them with an annoyed glare. Cinder rolled her eyes.

"Stalking a boy is not important," she said. "It's not even fun." Since L trusted them, they also knew about the cameras and wiretaps in Light's house. They'd promised to keep it confidential, as did I.

"Actually," stated B, "it's extremely fun and exciting." Hollow snickered as we stared strangely at Beyond before bursting out laughing.

"OK," I said when we were done laughing. "What sounds fun?" Hollow's eyes went wide. "Nothing that involves being out at night." He sighed. Beyond snickered deviously. "Nothing that involves murder," I reminded Beyond. Cinder snorted. "And nothing that involves getting arrested," I told her.

"Okay…" Hollow said, narrowing down our options. "Can it involve eating?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "I would enjoy that."

"I know!" exclaimed Cinder. Leading us into their hotel room's kitchen she pulled out four bottles of whipped cream from the fridge. "Who likes whipped cream?!"

* * *

 _Please REVIEW!_


	19. To-Oh Facade

To-Oh University. Apparently I'm applying for college again. In Tokyo. With L. And Light. Oh boy…

This was all apart of L's ingenious plan, taking one step closer to Light. I was going to be part of it. Hollow was still Beyond's apparent caretaker, making sure he doesn't go killer-crazy again. Cinder was in her own little world being bored to death so she evidently decided, without L's input, that she'd apply too and be apart of the bigger plan just for fun.

Now the three of us were in the classroom taking the exams. What fun, going through college all over again. The memories…

"And begin!" As the professor's starting words left his mouth, my pencil was already on the move. The questions were pretty easy seeing as though I'd already graduated.

L and I sat next to each other, getting done at the same time. "You there," the teacher announced, talking to L. "Student number 162: Sit properly in your chair." Just as the teacher walked away, I spotted Light ahead of us, looking over his shoulder.

L and him had some weird staring battle, not daring to move or say a word. I sat awkwardly next to L, but Light didn't even notice me.

Beside me, Cinder sighed with relief. "Done!" she cheered quietly. Glancing over at the creepy scene next to us, she rolled her eyes. "Everyone's so dramatic…" Studying Light, a deranged smile grew on her face. "He's hot."

I gaged. "Look," I whispered to her. "I know he's charming, but there's a 5% possibility that he could be Kira. Don't even-" I don't know why I even bother, she was already scribbling her number. "You're older than him," I reminded her quietly, but she ignored.

Taking away her pencil, I chucked it across the room when the teacher wasn't looking. Then I took away the slip of paper and stuck it in my bra when I knew no one was looking but Cinder. I think L saw too, but… No, just no.

"Don't even think about it!" I told her in a stern whisper. "You like Beyond, you know that right?" Cinder lowered her eyes sadly.

"It's been forever Winter," she whispered back quietly. "I doubt he feels that way anymore."

"Are you kidding?" I said, trying not to yell. The teacher was too stupid to pay attention anyway. "I've seen the way you look at him and the way he looks at you." Laying a hand on her hand, I smiled. "That spark's not gone just yet."

Rolling her eyes, she tried to hide the hope glowing in them, but it was obvious. She still hoped. Cinder still hoped for the love between her and a serial killer. Honestly, I thought it was romantic.

"Maybe," I said, nudging L, "we should hook them up on a date again."

L smirked. "Oh yes, I do remember our first scheme with them. Quite romantic, don't you think?" He glanced at me and smiled sweetly.

"Yes, I'm totally gonna blindfold you guys again and lead you into the middle of the woods," I announced teasingly.

"I can attest to that," L commented. Cinder and I stifled our laughter. The teacher finally glanced at us but we were swift to hide our conversation until he looked away. Like I said before, some teachers can be naive morons.

* * *

Doing a little jig, I hopped into the car with L and Cinder. "We got in!" I cheered as the car started. "I'm a college student again! I'm so proud."

Rolling her eyes, Cinder reached past L and grabbed my arms to cease my bouncing. "Calm down peppy," she said. I stopped as she let go of me and leaned back in the seats. "It's not such a big deal. Both of us went to college before anyway, and L's so intelligent he doesn't need college."

"I know," I said impatiently. "But who really knows?"

Scrunching her knows, she frowned. "What?"

"Yes, please elaborate further," L added quietly.

"What if I give the entrance speech?! Or L and me?! Wouldn't that be imposing?!" Cinder laughed.

"Calm down!" she repeated. Giving a small sigh, she gazed out the window. "Don't mean to be a downer, but Light and L alone have pretty much got this one in the bag. They're the two smartest people I know."

"On the contrary, you do not know Light," L commented.

Cinder hit him playfully. "I don't care! My point is that Winter's not likely to give the speech."

"Well you're a party pooper," I snorted. "Thanks for the self confidence."

"Shut up," she retorted. Then, with a smile she added with encouragement, "Don't worry, I bet you'll still have a pretty resplendent score." L scooted closer with me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders for encouragement.

Truth be told, everything Cinder said was true. Who was I kidding? My IQ could never compete with L, nevertheless Light. After some research on Light, I discovered is intelligence, which was very high.

I wasn't one to compete with L.

At the University, pink cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, spreading their leaves out into the world, sharing its beauty with everyone. The white clouds were none, if so, thin and light. It was a gorgeous day to go back to college.

On the vast stage, behind a podium, stood an old man with glasses. "Now for the freshman address," he said within the microphone. "Freshman representative, Light Yagami."

As Light stood up, Cinder sighed in the seat next to me. "Told ya," she boasted.

As Light walked on stage, another name was called. "And freshman representative, Hideki Ryuga." Another "told ya" from Cinder as L crept onto the stairs.

"Also," the man on stage began. I held my breath. "Freshman representative, Winter Wonderland." Flipping Cinder off, I scurried on stage with Light and L. When Light saw me, he smiled, but I could see the suspicion in my eyes. He probably thought it was weird for a 24 year old attending college as a freshman. Oh well.

First, Light gave the speech. I stood still, my eyes scanning the crowd, as he rambled on. Next came L. I listened to the sweet, low monotone of his voice floating through the microphone.

Finally, my turn. I read the words from the paper with such confidence, such grace. My back was straight and my eyes briefly looking up, drifting to the large crowd of students in front of me.

After the speeches, I traveled ahead of the boys so L could talk to Light for case reasons. Sitting back beside Cinder, she returned the middle finger. "Yeah, I get it. I'm a smart a** egotistical woman." Laughing, I nodded as L and Light sat in the empty chairs on my right.

By this point in the plan, L was confiding in Light that he was the world's best detective. By this point, Light should be taking the bait. Or at least I hoped. I dared to listen, but I decided against it. Better to stay out of it then get too excited.

Outside, L, Cinder, and I wandered over to the college student. "Hey Light," L called meekly. Light turned around and greeted us.

"Hello Ryuga, Winter." He looked at the stranger next to us. "Who is this?"

"I'm Cinder!" my friend announced proudly, smirking with confidence. She slung her arms around L and I. "These two are the smartest people I know."

"Congratulations on the speech," I told Light with a smile.

"It was no big deal," he shrugged it away carelessly. "You did pretty great yourself."

"Aww thanks," I said, pretending to be grateful. Light was a suspect so I decided to stay on his good side.

"Ryuga," Light said, turning to L. L had his hands in his pockets and was scanning Light from head to toe. "We should talk sometime over coffee. I'd like to pick up where we left off," he said with a set smile.

"Yes, I would like that as well. It was nice meeting you," L replied with an unblinking expression.

Light turned to Cinder. "I hope to get to know you more."

"Likewise," Cinder replied with an unreadable face. Finally, Light faced me.

"It was great seeing you again." Studying my faded wounds, he nodded with approval. "Glad to see you're doing better."

This time I actually did blush. "Yep," I replied with a withering smile. The three of us waved farewell to Light and got into Watari's fancy vehicle. All around us I heard murmurs of rumors and judging whispers. Ignoring them, I closed the door behind us as Watari drove us away.

Doing another jig, I smiled radiantly and sighed with relief. "It felt amazing to be up there with the two most intelligent guys ever. It meant so much to me to be apart of that experience."

"You act like you just won a Grammy," Cinder states with amusement. L watches me with a beatific expression fixed on his face.

"I am acting like a boastful jerk?" I asked Cinder with a serious concern. Shrugging carelessly, she studied my face. After a moment, she folded her hands and leaned them behind her neck.

"Not necessarily," she replied thoughtfully. "I know how much you really wanted to give that speech. You're just a little too overjoyed."

"Get use to it," I told her with a mischievous grin.

* * *

 **Third Person P.O.V**

L slid out of the car with ease right after Winter, then Cinder. As the two girls walked towards the building, L called to one of them. "Cinder, may I speak with you in private for a moment."

She nodded as her friend shrugged, walking back into the building with a curious mind. Watari pulled the car away and drove to park it. L and Cinder ambled to a nearby bench and perched in their sitting positions.

"You've been keeping your promise, correct?" the detective wondered.

Cinder nodded slowly. "Of course L," she replied with a firm nod. "What Winter doesn't know won't kill her."

"Yes, indeed. Especially because if she were to discover my deed, I would assume she would be extremely heartbroken." The detective was protective of the girl he loved, and will forever love.

"I think what you did for her was really sweet," Cinder cooed with a dreamy gaze in her eyes that were directed to the sky. At that moment she thought of Beyond Birthday and how her feelings for him grew stronger everyday.

"I suppose it was a special enterprise. The lying part isn't very much fun though."

"It's not easy to lie to a girl like that," Cinder laughed lightly, thinking about Winter and all her amiable traits. Even the ones that aren't so likable.

"The look on her face," L explained, "is amazing. The glow in her eyes as they sparkle with excitement. I have yet to experience that feeling, but I'd hate to ever take that away from her."

As the two strolled back into the hotel, each of them thought of the gift of happiness L secretly gave to Winter. Neither one of them would ever speak of it again.

Since Winter had her heart set on being one of the persons to give the To-Oh speech, L intended for it to happen. Although, it wouldn't be so easy because Winter scored a 99.9% on her test while L and Light got a perfect score, so in reality, she wouldn't have given the speech.

But… L worked his magic, pulled some strings, and voila: Winter scored a spot on stage. If it wasn't for L, she never would've been so happy. Neither would L.


	20. That Drunken Idiot

**(Back to Winter's P.O.V XD)**

"But why not?" Cinder whined to L who was standing by the door, about to leave. "Pretty please!"

"No," L stated bleakly. "Just stay here and be the good girls that you are." With a nod toward me, Watari and L left. Cinder slouched onto the couch, pouting.

"What I wouldn't give to see L beat Light in a tennis match," she grumbled. "Kick is a**!" she growled, shaking her fists in the air.

"Calm down," I snapped at her. "It's bad enough we can't go, don't go trying to wake the entire neighborhood." A part of me was a bit perturbed that L denied our presence at the match, but I tried ignoring it.

"Let's go see Beyond and Hollow," Cinder said with exasperation. We stumbled out the door and across the hall. In their room, I spotted Beyond napping on a couch and Hollow brewing something in the kitchen.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as we glided into the room. Hollow tossed us goggles to put on. Cinder examined them with interest.

"Right now I'm making a serum to lower Beyond's blood pressure," Hollow stated in his accent, pouring bottles within bottles.

"Isn't that what a doctor is for?" asked Cinder as she strapped on the black goggles. "Ever heard of prescription medicine?"

"Yes, I'm not an idiot," Hollow retorted. "It's just I don't think any of that stuff would work."

"Why not?" I inquired, putting on the goggles myself.

"Think of it this way," Hollow explained, setting down his thin spoon and tube on the counter. "Beyond is a serial killer so his genetics are much different than most people's. He's got a strong resistance in his blood that makes him immune to any relaxation medicine."

"If he's immune," asked Cinder with furrowed brows, "why try and make this?" She gestured to the messy, unorganized bottles and liquids on the counter.

"Because," Hollow said, picking up a tube filled with purple liquid and examining it, "I can make a serum that contains ingredients medicines don't use. Chloroform, nitrous oxide, liquor, tequila, kinky, cat nip, etc."

"Catnip?" I questioned with a quizzical smile.

"Don't ask," he replied. Hollow then took out a syringe. While mixing more fluids, he laughed. "Can someone hand me the bottle of vodka from the fridge?"

Raising an eyebrow, I obeyed his request and grabbed the clear glass. Handing it to him, I chuckled and shook my head. "I'm done asking."

Cinder was currently kneeling next to Beyond, stroking his hair. "Is he really sleeping or…?"

"Chloroform," Hollow stated with a half smile. Rolling her eyes, Cinder continued to stare at the sleeping killer. They swept over him like a tidal wave, absorbing everything in its path.

"Is it done?" I asked Hollow as he began filling the syringe. He nodded and filled it halfway.

"All set." Holding the tip of the syringe up so it didn't leak anywhere, Hollow slid off his goggles and hovered over Beyond. Gently, he stuck the needle in Beyond's right arm. After pushing all the liquid out, Hollow returned to the kitchen and began cleaning his mess up. Beyond stirred, but didn't awake. I took that as a sign it was working.

"Okay," Hollow announced when he was done. In his hand was the still almost full bottle of vodka. "Let's return this to L's fridge and say Matsuda drank it." I snickered as the three of us walked across the hall. After leaving a note that said "Matsuda drank it" we headed back to the other room to make a horrifying discovery.

Beyond Birthday was gone.

We checked every room in their hotel room. After not uncovering the medicated killer, we scoured throughout L's room, but found nothing.

"This is bad," Cinder groaned. "This is really, really bad!"

"Hollow, that serum had vodka and tequila in it!" I moaned while we paced in the hallway. "He's probably roaming around, drunk as a cat on catnip!"

"It actually had catnip in it," Hollow commented. Scanning our tense faces, he bit his lip with a shamefaced expression. "Not the time?"

"NO!" I practically screamed. "A drunken serial killer is on the loose! This is NOT the time for jokes!" Hollow took a step back. Cinder groaned loudly.

"We've got to find him," he announced. "Search the entire building."

Just as we were doing so, I took a small glance out of a nearby hotel room window and gasped. Beyond was stumbling down the sidewalks, tipsy and woozy. "Found him!" I yelled. They came running to the window. When they saw him, the three of us bolted downstairs and out the door.

"Which way did he go?" wondered Hollow aloud.

"There!" pointed Cinder at the sidewalk across from us. We sprinted across traffic and trailed behind him. "Beyond! Stop and get back here!"

As he heard her voice, Beyond turned around. "No way!" he shouted drunkenly. "I wanna have some fun!" Then, he bolted off down the street. We struggled to keep up. Even in a drunken state, Beyond was a pretty fast runner.

"Where the heck is he going?" I huffed out as we turned another corner.

That's when the three of us saw it. Right then and there, we knew exactly where Beyond, drunk with a hangover, was headed. It was quite obvious, actually. His subconscious mind was telling him to disobey L.

We ran twice as hard when we spotted To-Oh University ahead, but it wasn't enough. Beyond ran straight through the gates and into the campus. Oh boy…

"We're doomed," I puffed as we followed him down the pathway. Finally, he stopped to pass out on a nearby bench. Stumbling to a stop, we rested next to him, taking breaths and regaining our strength.

"Winter," Cinder choked out, taking deep breaths. "Look behind us." As I did, I groaned. The bench Beyond was sitting on was on the ground above the tennis court. Where L and Light were engaging in a match.

Hopefully neither of them would see us…

Cinder put her goggles onto Beyond so no one would recognize him. He was wearing baggy jeans and a black shirt, which Cinder bought for him. Suddenly, his eyes popped open. "Gotcha!" he said with a slur, then ran off towards the court. We stood there, stunned for a moment before sprinting after him.

Then, all Hell broke loose. Beyond stumbled to a tennis ball machine. Clicking a button, he started the machine, shooting tennis balls in every direction. Most of the people on the sidelines who were watching the game started screaming and running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

But L and Light remained focused in the game. Even the ref and line judge weren't fazed by the commotion, continuing to judge the game. I think Light was winning, but I didn't care.

The three of us tried to get to Beyond, but he just tried shooting balls at us if we even came close. Beside him were five large baskets of lime green tennis balls so I think this would take awhile.

Grabbing a tennis racket, I started swinging at the balls that came my way. Hollow and Cinder did the same. "Try and get to him!" I commanded them. "I'm going to help L!" And by "help", I mean totally diminish Light's pride.

They nodded and continued with their attempts. Running over to the court the two were playing on, I stood beside L. "Need some help?" I asked with a smile.

A couple drops of sweat rolled down his face. "Indeed," he replied, a smile yanking at the tips of his mouth. We turned to face Light, pumped and ready to kick his butt.

The whistle blew and the game started again. Light smacked the ball to us swiftly, but I jumped in time to hit it back to him. The round went on for a minute, slamming it back and forth until I smacked it to the corner where Light couldn't get to in time.

The game came down to this: one more point and we win. A point for Light and we have to keep playing. To be honest, I was about ready to give up. Light was definitely going for the win.

Hollow and Cinder were still struggling to get to Beyond who was beginning to snap out of his drunken daze. His eyes flickered as he saw L and I struggling to keep our lead.

Switching the mode of the machine, he turned it to go in Light's direction. A single ball popped out and flew straight towards Light who didn't see it until it was too late. The ball smacked into Light's head, knocking him to the ground just as the ball L hit flew past him.

Pumping my fist into the air with joy, the whistle was blown to end the game. "Game and set. Won by Hideki Ryuga! Six games to four!" Beyond finally stopped the ball machine and came over to congratulate us.

"You drunken idiot," muttered Cinder as her and Hollow approached the three of us. "You could've gotten killed running across the street in your condition."

"Yeah, um… How the HECK did that happen?!" shouted Beyond. "How did I get drunk?!"

Hollow raised his hand. "That was me. I was trying to develop a serum to lower your blood pressure. I guess it didn't turn out as I expected it would." Rubbing the back of his head, he lowered his eyes with shame, but his eyes were filled with amusement.

L sighed, his eyes sweeping over the four of us. "I thought I implored-no commanded you all to say at the hotel?" We all cracked smiles and shrugged.

"At least you won!" I cheered, wrapping my arms around L. Hollow gaged. Cinder and Beyond rolled their eyes. Light came up from behind us.

"That was an intense game," he said, wiping sweat from his face with a white towel. "I've never played so hard in my life." L agreed.

"I've never played at all," I commented, gaining a smile from Light.

"No way," he argued. "With those moves, I'm surprised you haven't won a trophy."

"It's all in the wrists," I said, displaying my hands delicately. L reached out and took them, squeezing them with affection.

"Would you like to get coffee with me?" asked Light, directing at L and me.

L nodded. "That would be perfect, actually. I have some things I'd like to discuss." Glancing at my friends, I declined.

"I'd better take these freaks back to where we came from," I told him.

"Oh, well that's too bad," Light replied with a sad smile. He slung his racket over his shoulder. "Raincheck?"

"Raincheck." Kissing L on the cheek, I walked off campus with Hollow, Beyond, and Cinder.

The short walk back to the hotel took longer than usual because Beyond made us stop and buy a couple five jars of strawberry jam. The front lobby of the hotel was empty of employees when we arrived back.

"Sorry if I worried you guys," Beyond apologized while waiting for the elevator. As we entered it, I waved it away.

"It's all good now," I told him, pressing the button for our floor. "At least you're safe." Clearing my throat, I glanced at Cinder and pursed my lips. _Tell him how you feel!_ my eyes implored her.

Taking the hint, she lowered her eyes. "Beyond, there's something I want to tell you. Something I've wanted to tell you for awhile now but never had the courage to."

The elevator rang as we stepped onto our floor.

"What's up?" Beyond inquired, walking beside Cinder.

"Do you want us to leave or…?" I looked at her but she didn't answer. Instead she was gazing at Beyond. Hollow started gagging until she shoved him.

After a moment of silence, she sighed. "You better not try to get killed again," she warned.

"Of course not," Beyond replied with a smirk. "Why, though? Would you feel… oh, I don't know… mournful if I'd pass? Sad? Lonely? Misera-"

"Shut up you idiot," Cinder snapped before kissing him. Hollow gagged silently and they leaned against the wall and kept kissing. After a moment of them kissing, I grabbed Hollow and tugged him into the hotel room, giving the sweet couple their privacy.

"It's been a hectic day," yawned Hollow as he trudged to the kitchen. "And it's not even supper time." Sinking onto the couch, I pulled out my phone and answered the messages from Eli and Bailey, still my closest Minnesota friends.

Eli is still in college to be a teacher. Bailey was working in the line of cosmetics and hair. She even started her own clothes line so she's pretty much loaded, still dating Ryder, though things are getting serious.

Eli and Harper are engaged, already planning the wedding, which I will be the maid of honor. Gabe is a musician in the United States, singing pop music and living his dream.

Ryder is… still Ryder. Still captain of a football team, college football now.

From the kitchen, Hollow gave a loud, long grunt. "Who drank all the vodka already?" Coming out into the living room, he held up an empty bottle of the drink.

"Wasn't it almost full when we left?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"Uh, yeah," he said, investigating the evidence. "We've been all together since we left. Well, not with Beyond, but we knew he wasn't in this room." A worried look grew on our faces.

"Someone was in here while we were gone," I said, standing up. "But who-"

"Who leaves a full bottle of vodka lying around?" asked a hard, but young, voice.

"Yeah, what a stroke of luck for us!" agreed another young voice. Hollow dropped the bottle onto the couch and stood beside me. From the hallway, two figures emerged.

One had brownish, redish hair and stylish goggles on. In the spaces between his fingers was a burning cigarette. The other person, whom I thought was a girl at first, had short blonde hair and was wearing a gothic outfit. In his hand was a chocolate bar.

"Who are you?" I demanded. The blonde scowled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he retorted.

The brown haired one rolled his eyes. "Mello, don't be such an a** hole," he said. Slipping the cigarette in his mouth, the kid pulled out a Gameboy from his back pocket and began playing it.

"Jeez Matt," the blonde- Mello- snapped. "Don't be such a b*tch!"

Hollow and I stared at the two boys, Matt and Mello, with fascination and wonder. With Hollow he was a bit more fearful, but I kept my cool. These kids looked rough, but not rough enough to kill us for no reason.

Clearing my throat, I stepped forward. "I'm asking again, who are you two boys?"

"We are not boys," Mello scoffed. "We're men!" He snapped his chocolate bar and chewed on it vigorously, narrowing his eyes at us.

Matt gave a roguish smirk. Putting away his game, he extended his hand to me. Hesitantly, I shook it. "We, my dear Winter, are from Wammy's House."

Hollow smiled. "What memories…"

"And you know my name how…?"

"We're not dumb," spat Mello. "It's not hard to look through your files at Wammy's." So, Roger keeps everyone's files, hidden probably.

"How's Roger?" I inquired. Mello rolled his eyes while Matt shrugged.

"Same bossy jerk he use to be," replied Mello with a grunt. Hollow and I laughed lightly causing the two boys to stare at us with strange faces. "What?"

"Roger use to be cool," I told them. "He even joined us in a prank war!"

"Aw man!" Hollow laughed. "You should've seen how hard he was pounding on the doors when we played the Barney song for you guys." I wiped a happy tear that escaped my face.

"Wammy's sounded awesome when you guys lived there," commented Matt with a distant look. "Who knew Roger would make it so boring after L left."

Cranking my head, I pursed my lips. "You know about L?"

Mello scanned me contemptuously. "Of course we know about him. Matt and I are his second and third successor. His first is stuck in that crap hole."

Raising my eyebrow, I wagged my finger at them. "No, L's top successor is in the hallway making out with his girlfriend." Hollow nodded in agreement. Matt and Mello cocked their heads in confusion.

Suddenly, Beyond and Cinder bursted through the door. When they saw Matt and Mello, they froze. Mello's eyes grew wide as he saw Beyond. "Hey!" he growled. "You're Beyond Birthday, the serial killer! You're suppose to be in prison!"

Hollow and I joined Beyond and Cinder at the door. We gave each other a look that said _Oh crap._


	21. Expect the Unexpected

"Here us out," I requested to Mello and Matt. Clenched fist, Mello growled, but said nothing. Hollow, Cinder, Beyond, and I were standing by the door. The two Wammy's boys were standing on the other side of the couch, by the window.

"Beyond Birthday is our friend," Hollow explained slowly. "He's L's friend too."

"L is the world's best detective," Mello's eyes swept over the four of us. "He doesn't need friends."

"Well," Cinder growled, "like it or not, he does. Now will you _please_ explain who you are and what you're doing here?" I'd forgotten her and Beyond were making out in the hallway so neither of them knew who Matt and Mello were.

"I'm Matt," the gamer explained, puffing out cigarette smoke. He lightly nudged the blonde grump next to him. "This is Mello. He's an a** sometimes."

"Shut up," Mello snapped at Matt. Scowling at Cinder he asked, "Who are you anyway?"

"This is Cinder," explained Hollow, stepping beside her. "I'm Hollow and, well, you apparently know the other two," meaning Beyond and me.

"Yep," Mello said, finishing off the last of his chocolate bar. "Where's L? We need to speak with him."

"He's out right now," I said, moving past everyone and into the kitchen. "Won't expect him back for awhile." In the kitchen I put away the five jars of jam for Beyond and returned to the gathered.

Matt and Mello were lounging on the couch, playing video games and eating even more chocolate. Hollow, Beyond, and Cinder were perched in chairs, solemnly observing the two boys.

"This… is so boring," commented Mello, a bored expression filling his face.

"Not our fault," I muttered. Mello glared angrily at me.

"What's that suppose to mean?" he asked.

"Well," I started, shifting in the chair. "We were gonna chill out and have some drinks, but _someone_ drank all our vodka." Folding my arms, I returned Mello's glare.

"Yeah," Cinder agreed with annoyance, narrowing her eyes at Matt. "You guys owe us $20." Kicking her legs against the bottom of the chair, she held her glare at the two boys.

L didn't return until later that night. He explained that Mr. Yagami suffered a heart attack and is currently in the hospital. "Could it have been Kira?" wondered Cinder.

L, who was perched on his chair sipping tea, shook his head slightly the same time I did. "Kira aims to kill his victims. If Mr. Yagami was a casualty of Kira then he would be dead by now." L's eyes darted to the two boys sitting on the couch. Matt gave a blissful grin while Mello displayed a cocky smirk. "And why are you two here?"

Straightening his back, Mello stared L in the eyes. "We think we could lend our services in the Kira case. If you'd be allowing, of course."

L's face was blank as he replied. "Seeing as though you are already here, I won't ask how, then I suppose it's alright." Dropping his head to the tea in his cup, his eyes had a distant look in them.

Jumping up from the couch, Matt and Mello smirked with pride. "So, where are we staying?"

"You two can stay with Hollow, Beyond, and Cinder across the hall."

 **(Very long time skip due to my laziness. Besides, nothing fun would've happened in that time anyway. The six Wammy kids, along with L, are still working on the Kira case. Light is in on it now too.)**

"We got a message from the second Kira!" hollard Mello from the main room. Moving away from the kitchen counter, I rushed into the room and jumped into the chair beside L. Everyone else gathered beside us and stared at the screen.

"Kira, thank you for your reply," the filtered voice from the laptop said. "Please do not worry. I will follow orders and do what you say."

"This second Kira is a follower," Beyond stated. "Just a copycat obsessed with the original."

"I really want to meet you. I don't think you have the eyes, but you don't have to worry, I will never try to kill you." _The eyes? Huh…?_ "That's a promise."

"What's this having 'the eyes' supposed to mean?" Aizawa wondered aloud. "Is it a code?" _A code? How could they arrange a code? I highly doubt they've already met each other._

Beside me, I saw L tense up. No, like seriously start shaking, eyes going wide. "Please tell me how I can meet you without the police knowing. You'll think of something. When we meet, we can confirm our identities by showing our Shinigami to each other."

Most of us yelled, "Shinigami?!" the same time L gasped. Well, first he gasped. Then, he threw his arms up in the air and screamed like a banshee, falling over on the ground along with his chair.

Matsuda, Aizawa, Hollow, and Cinder ran over and knelt by him. "Sh-Shinigami?" he asked wearily, eyes wide with fear. "Am I supposed to believe that Shinigami actually exist?"

While all of this was going on, Beyond and I were motionless, staring at the laptop screen. "SHH!" I shouted. Everyone except Beyond stared wildly at me. "I'm _trying_ to listen!"

I actually tried listening, but everyone just started whole other conversation so it was pretty hard to pay attention. In the end, I paused the video and bit my thumbnail in thought.

Could Shinigami really exist? The only thing I know about them is that they're called gods of death or whatever. Maybe I didn't believe in different gods, but I certainly believed in demons, spirits.

Supernatural things… Supernatural… Dealing with the supernatural… Those books! Jerking into reality, I whipped my head around to jump into the face of Beyond. "Those books!" we said simultaneously.

Everyone turned their heads and stared at us. "What are you two talking about?" asked Cinder, irritated.

Ignoring her question, I took off to my room and grabbed my phone off the dresser. Dialing the number, I listened to the ringing. "Hello?" asked the old man.

"Roger?!" I answered with a mix of enthusiasm and wonder.

"Y-yes? Winter? Is that you?" The old man's voice grew anxious.

"Yes!" I cheered. Growing serious I cleared my throat. "Upstairs in the attic. Those boxes of books. Do you remember them?"

"Of course, they've been up there since Wammy's first started. Why?"

"Roger," I commanded, "I need you to send me a couple. Pick the ones with the most supernatural, spiritual type genre. OK?"

I heard some shuffling before he finally answered. "Of course, I'll do it for you. I missed you running around the halls of the orphanage, plotting and hatching schemes. Haven't heard from any of you for awhile. Are you all alright?"

"We're fine Roger," I told him assuringly. "Every single one of us, including Matt and Mello."

"Wha-?" He sounded startled. "That's where they ran off to? Why I ought to-"

"Hey, go easy on them," I said softly. "They aren't horrible kids."

Sighing, Roger chuckled. "Hopefully you've been some sort of an influence on them."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" Laughing, I sighed. "I'd better go. Oh, and I'll send you the address to mail the boxes, but it won't be my exact location. It was nice talking to you again Roger."

"Likewise my dear Winter." I was close to ending the call when I heard him add something. "Oh, and Winter..."

"Yes Roger?"

"Please be careful. I know many people who have gone searching for things they never should find. Just... Expect the unexpected. You never know what you could be dealing with."

Clearing my throat, I forced a nervous laugh. "I will, and thanks for the advice."

"Anytime," he replied.

Then, we hung up.

* * *

 **2 days later**

"Just stack them in my room," I ordered Hollow and Matt as they lifted the heavy boxes into the hotel room. Roger had sent three boxes of those creepy books, compacted to the point where the boxes almost popped open.

As I ripped open the cardboard flaps on the floor beside my bed, I sighed. By the count of the books, it seemed like it would take me forever to go through them all.

Beyond lingered in the doorway. "I'm bored…" he trailed off. Giving me puppy eyes, he whimpered. Earlier I'd informed everyone I'd be doing it alone.

"Fine," I huffed, sifting through the first row of books. "Hurry up." Joining me on the floor, Beyond and I searched through two boxes within an hour and a half. And found nothing.

"Gah! They're mostly about spells and rituals." Opening the final box, I squinted. It only held a single book, but don't get the wrong idea; this book was huge! It took up almost all the capacity in the box.

"Whoa," murmured Beyond, brushing his fingers over the dusty cover. The title of the book was "Ghosts, Spirits, & More". Taking it out, Beyond laid it into my lap. "You open it," he urged.

Flipping it open, I gave a hard cough. Dust particles blew in my face as I wiped the surface of the first page. The deeper I read, the more interesting it got. The book told of many different theories of ghosts and spirits, which most I didn't believe.

Beyond gave a sharp gasp. "What's this…?" He reached out and touched the top of pages, his finger landing on a page ahead of where I was at. Flipping the stack of pages over, he opened to a certain page.

"A bookmark?" I wondered aloud, picking up the plastic piece with a long thread tied at the top. There was a single letter on the bookmark. "A?" Did that mean…

"Was A reading this before he died?" Beyond wondered for me. Grabbing it, he investigated. "What was he reading?" We looked down at the page and gasped.

This was it…

"Shinigami?" The entire page, and another after it, was filled with, real or fake, information about the supernatural gods of death. "Is this real?"

Beyond shook his head and stood up fiercely. "Don't be stupid Winter," he snapped, walking towards the door. "Stupid," he muttered, exiting the room quickly. Jeesh, what's his problem?

Staring between the bookmark and page, I frowned. There was a mystery here, but I just couldn't put my finger on it yet… It's here though. Why else would A's bookmark be in the section of the Shinigami?

Reading further, I found the answer I'd been needing. Shinigami are rumored to live in places called Shinigami Realms. They had a specific power, something highly dangerous and supernatural, but it was never specified. There's a good chance this book isn't real, but then again…

What did I know? Nothing. I needed more research.

So, after a long scour on the internet, all the websites reported the same thing as the book. Coincidence or not? Usually things that are fake are told in multiple ways.

I decided to take a walk to absorb all the information. Exiting my room, I saw everyone, but Beyond, gathered in the main hotel room. "I'm going on a walk," I announced.

L shifted in his chair with an uneasy motion. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

Shaking my head, I pulled out my black overcoat from the closet and slipped it on. "Nah, I'm good." Giving him a kiss on the cheek, I opened the door. "I'll be back soon Panda," I said, giving him a wink.

Mello and Hollow gagged.

L smiled. "Alright, Wonderland."

The chilly wind blew sharply in my face for a second, then died down. Clouds covered the sky, a gloomy sense filled the streets of Tokyo. In the pit of my stomach, I felt it churn uneasily.

Why do I have such a bad feeling? Eh, maybe I'm just hungry.

I didn't see it coming. No one would! The sharp pain in my arm startled me as the cold hand clamped over my face. I blacked out before I was able to see the face of my kidnapper.

* * *

I woke to a bright light. Soon I realized it was just the sun of morning illuminating the room I was in. Tied to a chair, I struggled to look around me. A bed. A dresser. A closet… I was in a hotel room.

Was this L's hotel room? I highly doubt that, but where was I?

As the door creaked open, I thought I'd soon find my answer. As the man trudged through the room, I noticed the faint lines under his eyes. Unlike L's, they looked like they weren't there his whole life.

Something about the man's hair was familiar. His eyes… ! Holy… freaking… no, it wasn't real!

"Hello Winter… How have you been?" His voice was soft, but unwelcoming and cautious. No no no no no….

"What?" I murmured unbelievingly. "This can't be… It's impossible!" All the man did was smile. Not evilly, but warmly. Like he was waiting for me for awhile. I certainly wasn't expecting him.

"Oh, so you do recognize me?"

I nodded. "You're-"

 **...To be continued...**


	22. Traitor

**Last time on "Not What She Expected"**

As the door creaked open, I thought I'd soon find my answer. As the man trudged through the room, I noticed the faint lines under his eyes. Unlike L's, they looked like they weren't there his whole life.

Something about the man's hair was familiar. His eyes… ! Holy… freaking… no, it wasn't real!

"Hello Winter… How have you been?" His voice was soft, but unwelcoming and cautious. No no no no no….

"What?" I murmured unbelievingly. "This can't be… It's impossible!" All the man did was smile. Not evilly, but warmly. Like he was waiting for me for awhile. I certainly wasn't expecting him.

"Oh, so you do recognize me?"

I nodded. "You're-"

 **...To be continued…**

 **Back to the story**

"You're A…"

A smile crept onto his face. "Correct, my dear Winter." Narrowing my eyes, I let out a confused huff.

"This doesn't make any sense. How- What- When…. HOW?" My mind was a blur, confusion took over. How was A alive?! And why the heck did he kidnap me?

The genius smiled, then waltzed over to the bed and slid onto the edge. Leaning back, his eyes glowed, staring at the ceiling. "It's a miracle, my friend. A miraculous phenomenon. A second chance."

"A, what happened?" I urged him to tell me, leaning forward as far as I could without falling over. Locks of my blonde hair hung in my face as silence filled the air.

Finally, he sighed dreamily. His brown hair was ruffled, he probably just got out of bed. A was wearing a red shirt and jeans, normal as ever. But the look in his eye was different. Before it was always positive and content, but now it was hopeful and… and determined. This determined wasn't like the resolute of being a prosperous successor, but more like yearning the power of… of something horrible.

"Winter, I know you, and everyone else living at Wammy's at the time, believed that I was dead, a lost soul never to return." Cranking his head, he said, "Correct?"

Nodding vigorously, I choked out, "Of course. I found you hung on a tree, dead. How is it possible that you're alive?"

The ends of his mouth twitched unevenly. "Truth of the matter was that I wasn't dead." I blinked at him, keeping my dubious gaze. "I tried killing myself, but it didn't fully work. Bradycardia; abnormally slow heart action. My heart almost stopped, but something forced it to keep beating, even the faintest beat kept me alive."

"I still don't believe it," I muttered, in fear and confusion and awe.

Giving a quick laugh, A trudged to the wall window, hands in his pocket, head upward. "To this day, I believe I was meant for something bigger. That's why I didn't die."

"What have you been doing all this time?" I asked him, furrowing my eyebrows at his back. "Why didn't you come to us?"

"Quillish Wammy," he said, still facing the window, "put my body in a body bag, heaven knows where he obtained it, and left me in the hands of an elderly man. A grounds keeper. The person who was suppose to bury me. But he didn't."

 _Of course he didn't_ I wanted to snap, but I didn't. All of this was getting on my bad side. "Why didn't he?" I wondered.

"When he realized I was still alive, he took me to his house." Wiping away a smudge on the window, he returned to the bed and laid down on it. "Curiosity has always pecked at me like a woodpecker, gnawing its way to my brain. 'Why didn't the man take me back to my family?' I thought often. Then I realized-" flying up into a sitting position "that he was insane." A laughed with amusement.

Scrunching my face, I scanned my old friend. He definitely seemed… different.

"The man was lonely and wanted someone to be around him. Feeling pity for the man, I stayed until I was old enough to leave."

I wanted to ask him why he didn't leave, but I knew back then A had a soft heart. "Why didn't you find us after that?"

Eyes flickering, he stared at me with a narrow face. "You have the books, don't you?" he asked out of the blue. "Did you find my bookmark?"

Shocked, I recoiled. "How did you know?"

"Because," he said, "I intended you to find them. The page about the Shinigami, remember?" I nodded cautiously. "That's what my goal is. I've been searching and searching ever since I left that crazy old fool," he continued, pacing at the end of the bed, "to find a Shinigami."

"How do you find one?" I wondered when curiosity peaked in me.

"The Death Note," he responded, eyes twitching with… ah, craziness. "Online I've read many rumors about Death Notes. Do you want to know what they do?" he asked, pressing his face into my space.

"Uh…" I scooted my chair back. He kept his distance.

"They kill people," he said with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Just a name and a face. With that power, _anyone_ could rule the world." Anyone meaning a psycho lunatic that believes he is a god. I would never even think about wanting that power.

"A, what's wrong with you?" I asked. Recoiling, he stared wildly at me. "You use to be a good kid. And why did you kidnap me?"

Sitting cross legged on the floor, he drew a blank face. "All my young life I worked to try and surpass someone who was too afraid to show his face to the world." I shot him a look. _L's my friend._ "Now I have the chance to be powerful than everyone on this earth combined. People would die to surpass _me_ and not that sorry excuse for a detective."

Lunging forward, I landed on my knees, chair still tied to me but with a looser hold. "You traitor," I growled. "A, you've gone mad! You don't need that power, you had friends."

"I don't need friends!" he spat back, staring me in the eyes. "After I obtain a Death Note, the new world will adore me. I won't ever have to be pressured by anyone again." Standing up, he yanked my chair, along with me, off the floor and back by the bed.

"You didn't answer my other question," I reminded him, annoyed.

"Oh, I kidnapped you to ask you if you wanted to rule along with me." Giving a laugh, he waved a dismissive hand. "I guess that's out of the question now."

"What are you going to do with me then?" I asked as he sat on the bed. "Take me back to my friends? Let me go?"

"Oh," he smirked. "I'll let you go alright. I'll let you go when I get a Death Note." With that, he jumped off the bed, and scurried out the door, locking it behind him.

* * *

The moment of freedom took longer than forever to wait for. A came in only twice a day to bring me pitiful meals that I struggled to scarf down. Seriously, it was pretty disgusting, tasteless food.

There were many things that surprised me (the food, the lack of sunlight, and the sound of a rat in the far corner) but nothing more than the fact that A was cruel when he didn't get his way.

Smug and snub, he didn't even glance my way when he dropped my food onto my bed, then he'd just sit there and watch me eat silently. Long handcuffs were tied to the post on the bed and then my wrist so I wasn't able to escape.

I don't know how long he kept me there. I lost count after two days. Poor L. What is he possibly thinking? Cinder must be worried sick, the others too. Eh, maybe not so much Mello.

Then the day finally came. No, A didn't retrieve a Death Note or whatever he was obsessing about. It was the day I escaped.

Over the past days I've been held captive I'd been waiting for just the right food to be served. One day, finally, A served me chicken legs. Yep, chicken legs. Chicken bones I used to snap a tiny piece off when he wasn't looking. Then, when he was gone, I used my teeth to sharpen the end of it.

I may or may not have seen it on a t.v show from when I was young.

I was able to pick the lock of the handcuffs and break my hands free. Gasping with delight, I scrambled to the window. Good, we were on a lower level, easy to escape from. Such luck!

Maneuvering out onto the window sill, I smiled. _This reminds me of L's birthday._ Sliding down a side ladder, I landed on the ground and took off down the road.

Thank God. I recognized the city: Tokyo! I was still in Tokyo! Hallelujah! Spiriting down the street, I suddenly spotted the hotel. Yes! Stumbling into the lobby, I ran up the stairs not bothering with the elevator.

I didn't care about going to the authorities; I just wanted to see L. But when I opened the door to his room, I gaped. Empty. Every one of his belongings were gone; the sweets in the fridge, clothes hanging in the closet, even his laptop. All gone.

The room was devoid of my things too. Across the hall all trace of my other friends was disappeared as well. Where did they go? Did they give up on me? No, they wouldn't do that.

On the floor of L's room, I noticed a slip of paper under his bed. Reaching down and picking it up, I read the scribbling on the front. "Aoyama?" I read aloud. That's a place. Letting it fall to the floor, I ran outside into the cool Spring air.

Aoyama, here I come!

Bolting down the street, I fell into the migration of Tokyo people, crowding the sidewalks and walking across the streets. Using posters and bus routes, I carefully directed myself to the place of Aoyama. It took awhile, I was extremely hungry, but I was determined to find them.


	23. In Danger

Taking a quick detour in the Goodwill shop, I changed my outfit. Now I wore a blue floral sleeveless top with white capris. Topping it all off I bought a pair of sunglasses.

Sitting in the cafe by Note Blue, I sighed thinking over my plan. L was absolutely the only person I could trust with this information. Beyond would go psycho again knowing that his friend, the same friend he started killing because of his suicide, is alive.

Hollow and Cinder were close to A too. It may seem selfish to not tell them A is alive, but I know they didn't take it well when he first died; I need to let them know carefully. Randomly stating that A kidnapped me was not careful.

Maybe Mello and Matt, but I don't want them to go blabbing off to the others when they get pissed at me.

Like I said, L was the only one I could trust with this information.

The girl in the table next to me sighed dreamily. Following her gaze, I widened my eyes as Light walked by in a crowd of college kids. Wait- was that Matsuda too? So this is what they were doing? Going out with friends?

Casually getting up, I strolled to the door and threw away my cup of empty coffee. Walking out the door, I slipped into the crowd. Matsuda mustn't have recognized me or either didn't see me because he never said a thing.

Making my way to the front of the group, I wrapped an arm around Light's waist. Giving a slight gasp, he cranked his head at me and smiled with relief. "Winter? Is that you?"

Nodding, I straightened my sunglasses. "Yes, and for now, you are my boyfriend. Just for a cover, so act cool."

"That won't be too hard," he muttered under his breath, gazing about the scenery around us. Moving his arm around my waist, he pulled me closer. I stiffened, but kept walking a steady pace. As we passed a security camera, I bit my lip.

Could L… No, he wouldn't. Would he? Is that why he left the Aoyama note? I couldn't be too sure right now. I'd have to wait.

* * *

Back at the (new) hotel, I rushed into the door before Light and Matsuda. L was standing up, gazing out the window. When I came in, he whipped around and ran towards me, lifting me into a twirl then hug.

Gripping my tightly he whispered, "Thank God you're safe Wonderland." Stroking my hair, he buried his head into me.

After a minute, he let go. "I missed you too L," I told him with a faint smile.

"What happened?" he inquired with an urgent tone. Looking around the room, I realized Mello, Matt, Cinder, Hollow, and Beyond were standing around us, watching us expectantly with relieved faces.

Taking L into his room, I sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"That's impossible," he muttered as I finished. Sitting on the edge of his bed, I nodded. "Honestly, I am… speechless." Unusually, his face was filled with worry and confusion.

"That's what I felt like when I found out." We each bit our thumbnails. "How do we tell the others?"

"We don't," he stated blankly.

"Why?" I scrunched my nose at him. "Don't they have the right to know?"

"It's just like you said before," L explained with a still blank face. "Telling them would only cause more heartbreak and confusion. We don't tell them until we capture A." It was like he was commanding me, giving me a stern look in his eyes.

"Why would we capture him?" I wondered. "Because he faked his death?"

"That and the fact that he kidnapped you." L locked his gaze on me. I knew what he was thinking.

"Honest," I told him, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm alright."

"I was very concerned for you Wendy," he said. Oh my gosh, he actually used my first name in, like, forever. Seriously, he's never used my real name, if so then once or twice.

"L," I said softly, scooting closer to him. "Thank you for worrying for me. Honestly, I was scared. The things A talked about, the _way_ he talked about them, it made me nervous. I'm just glad I'm back."

As silence filled the room, L and I gazed at each other. Giving me an unreadable face, he stayed still. What was he thinking?

In retrospect, it was _very_ obvious what was going to come next. L lunged slightly towards me, plowing me out on the bed. Laying on top of me, L leaned forward and laid a passionate kiss on my lips.

"L?" I gave a small laugh. "Are you okay?"

"I am absolutely fine," he said, curling up next to me. "Lawliet."

I pursed my lips and tilted my head. "Hmm?"

"My real name is L Lawliet, if you must know."

"I didn't ask, but... It's nice." I kissed L on the forehead.

"I feel that you are close to me. I can trust you Winter."

"I trust you too..." I laughed and stroked his hair. My eyes hurt from the lack of sleep, and I yawned loudly. L noticed and pulled us both under the covers. As my eyes closed, I could feel L relaxing next to me. Finally, I slowly fell asleep.

* * *

When I awoke, it was morning. L was still curled up next to me, but his eyes were closed and his chest was moving up and down peacefully.

Realizing how hungry I was, and most likely L, I poked the face of my drowsy partner. "Wake up Law," I whispered in his ear. He opened his eyes fully at the sound of his almost last name.

"Five more minutes?" he whimpered with pleading eyes. Rolling mine, I laughed as he pulled me on top of him.

"I'll be making cinnamon rolls," I tempted him. With a hungry eyes, he shoved me onto the floor. Landing with an "oof" I huffed.

"I like cinnamon rolls," L stated plainly.

Wagging a finger at him, I yanked him out of bed and onto the floor with me. "You just love your sweets," I said, kissing his nose.

"And you," he added. I blinked, raising an eyebrow at him. "I love you Wonderland."

"I love you too L," I told him, resting my head on his shoulder. Those were the easiest five words I'd ever said. "My Lawliet." At least we could each nickname each other by our last names now. Lawliet and Wonderland.

Putting on a white robe over my tank top and sweatpants, I hurried to the kitchen and brought out the ingredients for cinnamon rolls. Taking out the rolls from the tube, I placed them on a pan then into the oven. After shutting the door and starting the timer, friendly arms wrapped around me and squeezed tight.

"Cinder, you're gonna kill me," I choked out humorously. "Don't turn into Beyond."

"Hey," Beyond smirked, appearing beside us. "That's the best insult she will ever get." Hollow slid beside him.

"Where have you been?" Cinder inquired, putting her hands on her hips defiantly. She sounded like those moms on t.v that yell at their teenage daughters for sneaking out. Yeah, well, I wasn't going to tell her anything actually factual from the last day either. Cinder does not need to know about my love life.

"Didn't someone already tell you?" I wondered annoyingly. I hated having to repeat everything more than once or twice.

"Of course, minutes after you got back," Hollow informed me, giving an annoyed glance to Cinder. "We just wanted to know if you felt comfortable talking about it."

"Not today," I muttered, brushing past them and into the main room. "Not for awhile." Light and the Task Force members would be arriving later after lunch to continue working on the case. I think they're visiting with Mr. Yagami now.

As the four of us gathered in the main room, Matt and Mello trudged through the doors. Matt perked up when he saw me. "Hey Winter," he greeted, taking a seat by me on the couch.

Mello grunted and sat next to him. Immediately they began doing their own thing; eating chocolate, massacring more like it, and playing on a Gameboy. Their favorite things in the world.

When L appeared, I snickered. His hair was messy and his clothes were ruffled from the last night. Mello's eyes widened weirdly while Matt snickered with me. L trudged over to me and perched beside me.

Later, after the cinnamon rolls cooled and were frosted, I handed them out to everyone. It was strange because everyone was silent for awhile: Matt put away his device, Mello his chocolate. Cinder leaned against Beyond's side as they chewed on their rolls. Hollow gazed into the distance, not looking at anything in particular.

When Matt decided to go to the bathroom, it got even quieter. The longer it lasted, the more I realized it was a comfortable silence. Everyone was just glad to be here, together.

Suddenly, a loud, face scrunching BOOM overwhelmed the silence. The hotel rumbled uncontrollably. Everyone scrambled for the door, tearing through the hallways and down the stairs.

In the main lobby, employees were pacing around, grabbing extinguishers and buckets, then running upstairs.

"What happened?" shouted Mello through everyone's confusion.

A man ran up to us. "A gas line broke on one of the floors causing an explosion! It's on the top floor, but it's spreading down very fast."

Beyond cursed. "It's getting close to our floor."

"Oh, our stuff!" whined Cinder. "My money, clothes, sh-"

"I will replace everything," announced L. "But right now we need to leave."

"Wait!" I shouted, looking around. "Where's Matt?" Bathroom. Matt left for the bathroom right before the explosion. He's still upstairs.

Mello tried to run for the door, but I held him back. "I need to save him!" screamed Mello loudly. Hollow and Beyond grasped his shirt and pulled him back.

"I'll go," I told everyone. L frowned, but before anyone could stop me I was rushing past the employees up the stairs and onto our floor. Our now burning floor.

From one end it was completely on fire, no saving anything from that side. But the side of L's hotel room wasn't too crisp just yet. Bursting inside, I coughed in and out smoke.

Covering my face with my sleeve, I sprinted towards the bathroom. It was almost already engulfed in flames. If we'd let anyone else come save Matt, it would've been too late.

Kicking open the door, I spotted Matt lying unconscious on the tile floor. Just as I jumped for him, a small blast blew the fire closer. I could feel its heat burning up my face, my whole body feeling sick and weak.

But I couldn't give up; Matt needed me.

Crawling to him, I could barely see his faint breathing moving his chest up and down. Good, still alive. Grabbing his chest, I pulled him out the door and into the hallway. After a long crawl to the main room that was beginning to get on fire, I grabbed a kitchen towel that fell to the floor and held it over Matt's face to block the heat and smoke.

With all my might, I lifted Matt up, stumbling to stand correctly. When I did, I maneuvered to the door and tried banging it open with my side. Realizing that would never work, I let Matt drop enough to slip my hand from him for a swift move to the doorknob.

Flinging it open, I lunged into the clearer hallway with Matt in my arms. Voices around me yelled and called to each other. They saw us. Good, we would be fine. Lying on top of me, Matt began coughing erratically.

I could feel his body shift and stir, he woke up from his unconscious state. Seeing him blink made me let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're okay," I croaked out, my voice hoarse and stale.

When he saw me, he laughed. "You look like crap," he said.

"No freaking kidding," I laughed back. Then I blacked out.

* * *

The next time I awoke was in a soft, warm bed. My eyes were still closed, but I could feel a warm body next to me. Opening my eyes, I saw it was Matt. He laid beside me, lightly sleeping with his goggles still on.

"Matt?" I said aloud, causing him to wake up. "Sorry I woke you."

"Nah, it's fine," he assured me, rolling around to face me. "I stayed up for awhile to see you wake up, but they kept telling me to go to bed."

"Who?"

"L and the police," he replied. "They're outside the door in the next room. Waiting for you." A small hint of jealousy flashed in his eyes.

"Matt," I said, staring at the ceiling above us. "What happened?"

"You're asking me?" he laughed unbelievably.

"You sound shocked."

"Yeah sort of" was his slow answer.

"Why?" I inquired.

"Because everyone loves you," he admitted. "I might be… sort of… somewhat… envious of that. L, the world's best detective, loves you, like, legitly loves you. Hardcore."

"Whoa," I said after a minute. "You're deeper than I thought. You know, I bet if you stopped playing video games all the freakin time, you could actually advance to be L's second successor."

Matt's eyes widened, his body twitched with excitement. "You really think I could pull it off? I mean, would L finally recognize me if I did it?"

"Matt, of course L recognizes you." Turning to him, I stared into his crisp brown eyes. "He may not show it, but L notices everyone. Even you Omega."

"Shouldn't I be Alpha?" he wondered. Shaking my head, I laughed.

"I like Omega better. It suits you." Matt scooted closer to me, laying his head on my shoulder and burying his face into my neck. Stroking his back like a mother would her child, I sighed. "Sleep tight, Omega."


	24. Copycat

_Where do I start… My files got deleted forever on Google Drive. I had this story completely finished, and now it's all gone. So, just a reminder, updates may or may not take longer than usual. Depends on work progress._

 _Please enjoy and review. I spent (am spending) all Christmas vacation recreating the world of Winter Wonderland. It may actually be fun to re-enter her world. This is my most successful story and I hope you guys like it. Thank you._

* * *

I left still-recovering Matt in the care of his best friend and shut the door to his room quietly. Hollow and Beyond remained in their living room while Cinder and I went to the room across the hall.

Just as we walked in, the laptop sounded off and my grandfather's letter appeared on the screen. We joined the rest just in time.

"Ryuzaki, apparently Sakura TV has just received another message from the second Kira." Oh great. Aizawa, Mr. Yagami, and Light stood from their chairs. "It was postmarked on the 23rd."

The words "KIRA" replaced the "W" on the computer screen. It was dead silent as we listened to the message.

"I'm happy to say that I have found Kira," said the filtered voice. "To all of the people of the television station and the police department, I'd like to thank you very much."

What?! That's impossible! Wha- how can this have happened? No, it can't be true. I don't believe it. Besides, where did it even happen? Aoyama?

"This is a disaster if he found him." Aizawa stared at the screen in thought.

"Yeah," Mr. Yagami agreed. "It most likely means that the two Kiras are cooperating with each other."

L picked up his tea cup, stirring his drink with a spoon. "At this point I don't think we should jump to any conclusions. The second Kira is only saying that he found him, nothing more. He may not have made contact yet."

If so, we may still have time to catch the second Kira, maybe even the original. We only need something. ONE thing. He _must_ have been in Aoyama on the 22nd. That has to be it.

"Now that it's come to this," L continued with the watchful eyes of us on him. He took a sip of his drink. "We have no choice but to communicate as the police directly with the second Kira."

"You wanna send a message?" Matsuda asked.

"Yes. The police need to reach out to the copycat and offer him a deal. We need to negotiate with him to see if we can get Kira's real name."

Kira's real name. Man, wouldn't that be helpful right now. Cinder and I shared a worried look. _You think this will work?_ I gave a small shrug. Honestly I thought that the second Kira was too smart and strong headed to make a deal with the police. He knew what he was after and didn't want to change it. If I were in the same position, I wouldn't even glance in their direction.

* * *

I sighed as the WARNING video played live on tv. What a joke. Honestly, do the police really think they can get an copycat to betray his obsession? Well, gotta give them points for trying.

L came into the living room and perched in a chair beside me. "What are you scoffing about?"

Staring at the screen, I turned down the television volume. "This," I said, motioning to the broadcast. "I highly doubt the second Kira is gonna call the station revealing his identity and begging for forgiveness."

"It's worth a try," L stated blankly. I frowned at him, but said nothing. After a moment, I turned off the television entirely. "Would you mind running a quick errand for me at this moment?"

I cranked my head in his general direction and sighed. "What?"

So L's "quick errand" was walking to the bakery half a mile across town and picking up an order of pastries. Like, why does he need pastries at this hour? After loading the two large boxes of sweets in my arms, I made my way carefully down the sidewalk. Only to ram into another person.

Luckily I balanced the boxes so they didn't go flying to the ground. When I looked up I saw a girl flattening her skirt. "I'm sorry," I said, biting my lip.

She looked at me and smiled it off. "Oh, it's alright." Glancing at my boxes, she tilted her head to the side. "Need some help?"

"Oh, no, it's fine really." I tried to move around her but she plucked the top box and gripped it tightly with a persistent smile on her face. "Okay then." As I walked down the sidewalk carrying one box, the girl skipped beside me carrying the other. She had blonde hair and a gothish sense of style, but I didn't mind. "Thanks for helping me," I said, trying to strike up a conversation.

"No problem," she said through humming. "I'm Misa Amane. What's your name?"

I hesitated. Telling my name to a total stranger? Hmm. I did crash into her. Hmm. "Winter." The moment I said it, a strange look flashed across her face, but she wiped it away with a smile.

"Pretty name! I've always like that season. Well, not the icky, slushy snow, but more like the pictures on the internet. I use them as my wallpaper. One time I…" Jeez, this girl could talk for hours if you let her!

Fortunately, she didn't have forever. Halfway to the hotel, which I don't know why I was leading her to, she stopped in her tracks. "I'm here. Gotta go now." Misa set the box on top of the other one in my arms and waved goodbye as she skipped up the pathway to a house.

Oh boy, not just any house. Light Yagami's house. "Hey, Misa, wait!" Misa turned around and hummed over her shoulder. "How do you know Light Yagami?"

Giving a barely noticeable gasp, Misa bit her lip defensively. "Oh, we're good friends." Then she skipped merrily up to the front door and rang the doorbell. She gave me the glare-over-the-shoulder to tell me to get lost. And I did, as quickly as possible.

* * *

Cinder and I came into the room the same time as Light arrived. Averting his eyes, I made my way to L and sat in a chair beside him. Cinder stood with the others as L played the video.

"I've decided to stop searching for Kira." That first sentence hit me like a tidal wave. What? Didn't he just say he found Kira? But now he's saying he's stopped searching for him. "And I'd like to thank the police department for their advice. However, I still plan to help Kira in his mission, and I hope that, in time, he will come to see me as an ally. I will start by punishing criminals Kira has yet to judge. Also, I will share my power with others who I feel are worthy and I will encourage them to do the same. Together, we'll make this world a better place."

"Wait," Cinder said, holding her hands up in the air. "Didn't he previously say that he'd found Kira? Now it sounds like he's given up hope searching for him."

"Apparently he's lying about something," I said, crossing my arms.

"After watching this," L said, putting down the remote, "I can only think that Kira and the second Kira have managed to make contact."

"What makes you say that?" Light asks carefully.

"Pff, can't you tell." Light side glared at me as I spoke. "Oh, you can't? Well then." I resisted the urge to laugh in his face.

"Didn't you sense it?" L looked at Light over his left shoulder. "I was sure you'd come to the same conclusion we did after watching this once through."

"He can't help if he's slow sometimes," Cinder said as if she was talking to a baby. I laughed as she patted Light's back assuringly. "Don't worry, you'll get it next time." He shrugged her hand off and frowned.

L stared at the screen and took a bite of his donut. Cinder eyed the box of sweets longingly, then reached out for one, but L slapped her hand away lightly.

"Light, first consider how determined he was to meet Kira. So why the sudden change of heart? Now he wants to punish criminals that Kira hasn't? And all he wants out of it is for Kira to see him as an ally? It begs the question, why didn't he do this to begin with?"

"I'd say it's because he never thought that far ahead," I announced. "The second Kira only thought about not getting caught, and showing his powers to Kira and the rest of the world. All this rational change has to mean that he's met the real Kira who is now guiding him on what to do."

"Yes, and I suspect the purpose of this message is to hide the fact that they met."

"I see…" Light looked like such an idiot, but he tried to keep his cool. "What I find really strange is that it's unlike Kira to be so careless."

"That's true," L said, licking the glaze off his fingers. Cinder took this as her opportunity to successfully snatch a donut and devour it. "But are we to believe that Kira made a mistake this time? Or is this his way of letting us know they've made contact."

"He could just be provoking us," I stated, staring at the empty screen. Who are you Kira? Light? A? Misa? Whoa whoa whoa, wait. Misa? The girl I met last night… I stood up and turned to Light, my arms still crossed. "Hey, Light, can I ask you a question?"

Hesitant, Light frowned slightly. "Uh, sure, what is it?"

"Why was that girl, Misa I think, at your house last night?" Light widened his eyes with confusion and shock.

"H-How did you know she came to my house?" Cinder snorted and joined me, arms crossed. L turned around to watch Light over his shoulder. "Misa just came to drop off a notebook of mine. No big deal."

"Aww, does little Light have a girlfriend?" cooed Cinder with a smirk on her face. "How cute."

"Misa Amane was at your house, hm?" Light glanced at L as a drop of sweat fell down his face. "How interesting. Tell us, Light, is she your girlfriend?"

Light clenched his fist, obviously not prepared for the question. "Yes, we are dating. Why would you care?"

"No reason," L murmured, biting his thumbnail in thought. Cinder and I shared smirks as Light and L stared at each other.

* * *

"It's just hair L. Just hair." Cinder narrowed her eyes as the detective continued to inspect the sample of hair in the zip lock baggy. "Please make it stop." She stretched out her back on the arm of the chair and slid to the floor to sulk in her own boredom.

Beyond, Hollow, Matt, and Mello were having a "Boy's Day Out" adventure, so Cinder had to stay behind with me. Not that she didn't like hanging out with me, it's just when you're doing nothing but examining a strand of hair for twenty minutes it gets a bit tiresome.

"Mr. Yagami." The Chief turned his head to L. "If I die within the next few days, your son is Kira."

Cinder sprung up from the floor. "Finally! Some action!"

The Chief gasped in shock, then stood up in anger. "What did you just say Ryuzaki?"

Matsuda agreed. "Exactly. What are you talking about anyway?"

Cinder grunted. "He said that if he dies soon, suspect that Light is Kira! Are you deaf?"

"No they aren't," I said, sliding my reading glasses up my nose. I sat against the wall working on a crossword. "Just in denial."

"If anything happens to me," L said, holding the sample in the air, "I've asked Watari to make himself available to you so I'm counting on the team."

Mr. Yagami walked up behind L and frowned. "Ryuzaki. You said he was almost cleared and now this? Honestly, how much do you suspect my son?"

For me it's about an 80%.

"The truth is, I don't even know what to think anymore." My thoughts exactly. I have so many questions in my head. Where is A and what's he doing? Do Death Notes, the books he told me about, exist? What are Light's true intentions? Is he Kira?

My head began hurting so I stopped.

"I've never been in a situation like this," L continued. "If Kira and the second Kira are working together right now, things are not looking good for me. Given that, I may not be thinking as clearly as I normally do so I could be wrong. Maybe I still consider him a suspect because we don't have anyone else."

"So? It wouldn't hurt to suspect Light. He is the most obvious suspect right now." Mr. Yagami shot a hurtful, stern glance in Cinder's direction.

"If I do happened to be killed soon, please assume that your son is Kira."

"Already done," I announced. I looked down at number 18 across. _Five letter word for psychopath._ Hmm… _T_ _._

Matsuda, Aizawa, and Mr. Yagami all stared at the wall with gloom. They didn't want to think that Light Yagami, the son of the Chief of the NPA, was a murderer.

I didn't blame them.


	25. Would You Rather? 2

"It's a battle to the death!" Cinder screamed from the top of her lungs.

"Shut up!" I yelled back, struggling to keep her pace.

"No one will survive!" She turned around and glared at the zombies chasing after us. "You won't catch us you bastards!"

"Shut the heck up and RUN!" As I struggled to catch up to my best friend, I heard her sad words from ahead of me.

"Sorry it has to come to this, Winter, but one of us has to die." She picked up a pipe as we ran. "And it won't be me." Then, she chucked it at me, hitting me in the head.

I groaned obnoxiously and flipped to the ground. Then, zombies circled me and started devouring my flesh. Well, my character's flesh. My life bar quickly decreased until I died. GAME OVER.

Angry, I almost chucked the Xbox 360 controller across the room. L tsked from behind us as Cinder danced cheerfully. "No need to be a sore loser," he told me.

"Shut up all of you! I'm not being a sore loser!" Ticked, I turned the game off and grabbed my boots.

"No need to be so defensive either."

"Will you stop doing that?" I snapped, shoving my boots on my foot. "Let's just go or we're going to be late." We got ready, then headed down to campus. It's funny how we made it into the college but never actually attended. I guess it doesn't matter now that Light knows who were are.

L perched on a bench and took out a book to read while he waited. Cinder, already bored to death, groaned. "Can't we do something fun while we wait?"

I put on my glasses and took out my crossword. "This is fun," I answered in a blank voice. _Six letter word for complainer._ Hmm. _R._

Cinder sat cross legged on the ground in front of us. "Let's play 'Would You Rather' okay? Unless of course you are too wimpy and scared."

I yanked off my glasses. "I'm not a wimp."

L put down his book. "I am not scared easily."

Cinder smirked with triumph. "Alright then. Hmm, let me think…" She turned to me and asked, "Would you rather have a dragon, or be a dragon?"

"Have one," I answered simply. "Then I could make it kill anyone I wanted with it's fire breath."

"L." Cinder thought for a moment. "Would you rather never be able to speak again, or always have to say everything that's on your mind?"

L bit his thumbnail. "It would be a shame if I could not speak. I am the world's top three greatest detectives… Always have to say everything that's on my mind."

Cinder nodded satisfyingly, then turned to me for round two. "Would you rather wear a snow suit in the desert or be naked in Antarctica?"

I laughed and shook my head, biting my lip. I definitely wouldn't want to be naked in the barren tundra. But wearing a snow suit in the middle of the freakin desert? "I guess wear the snow suit," I finally answered.

Cinder scrunched her nose. "Why?"

"One, I wouldn't be naked. Two, I don't fancy being frozen to death while exposed. I'd rather die of heat stroke."

Shrugging, she moved to L. "Would you rather change the past or be able to see the future?"

A small smile crept on L's face. "That is quite an easy one. I'd rather change the past." We shared a knowing look. I knew what L would do if he could change the past. He'd help A. We all would. He'd make sure A wasn't so pressured so he wouldn't try commit suicide, then go crazy later on in life.

Cinder hit her hands on her legs as a drum roll. "Final round. Cinder." I took a deep breath and prepared for the last question. "Would you rather know how you're going to die, or when you're going to die?"

"Pff, totally when. Like, I'd want to know when I'm going to die so I can get all my priorities straight and live life to the fullest. Besides, if I knew how I would die, I'd probably freak out and have an aneurysm."

Cinder laughed and rolled her eyes. "L." Eying me playfully, she smirked inwardly. "Would you rather be married to the love of your life, or be the world's greatest detective."

L hummed. "Both?"

"Nope," Cinder told him, wagging a finger in his face. "You can only pick one mister." L rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip.

I sighed. "Of course he'd be the world's greatest detective." They both shot their heads at me with confused looks on their face. "I mean, he loves his job and he's amazing at it. He's helped so many people. Why would he want to give it up just for some girl?"

Cinder snorted softly, said nothing, and turned to L, awaiting his answer. L stared at me with a blank face, eyes unreadable. I pursed my lips and kept quiet until he finally answered.

"Winter is incorrect." I laughed bitterly and crossed my arms.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"Mhm."

"I'm serious."

"Uh huh, sure you are."

L leaned forward and stopped inches from my face. I could smell his sweet breath as he spoke. "I would rather marry the love of my life, if I have one, than be the world's greatest detective."

Cinder cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, wasn't that fun?! Now, I think I'm gonna go get some coffee from the cafeteria." Cinder then darted off down the stone path.

L returned to his usual position without a word and picked up his book between his fingers. I scribbled on the margin of my crossword for a while. "Truth or dare?" I blinked and looked over at L. He was staring forward, but his eyes were no longer on the book.

"Oh, so now we're playing that game?" I slid my crossword and pencil away from me.

"Truth or dare," he repeated calmly.

I sighed. "Truth."

"Do you sometimes wish that your parents never died and you never went to Wammy's?"

I did not expect that question. Keeping my posture normal and my face blank, I didn't say anything. An odd silence drifted between us as the wind carried it away. "Yes," I answered truthfully. "A lot."

I don't know what he was expecting, but apparently my answer was satisfying to him. "I assumed so."

"L," I said, scooting closer to him. I laid a hand on his shoulder. "Not one day goes by when I don't miss my parents. I loved them so much. But I also wouldn't trade you guys for anything. I'm grateful that my grandfather took me in. I'm grateful that I met you and Cinder and Hollow and Beyond."

A smile flashed across his pale face as he turned to face me. "I know." Before he could say anything else, I spotted Light up ahead. He was walking with a different girl, not Misa his alleged girlfriend.

In a quick move, I slid down the bench and onto the grass, grabbing my crossword and pencil. Tossing them behind a bush, I crouched behind the bench and peeked around it to watch what was happening in secret.

Light approached L at the bench. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn't see me. I didn't want to interrupt this meeting because it was important L got the information he needed.

"I hope she's not upset." L put down his book and rested his hands on his knees. "Though I'm surprised you are not with Misa Amane."

"Never mind that. Is it okay to be here? Didn't you say you were afraid to appear in public?"

"Yeah I did," L answered casually. "But then I realized that as long as you're not Kira I should be safe. The fact is, you're the only one on the outside who knows me as L. In the unlikely event that I die in the next few days, I've instructed your father and everyone at Headquarters to assume that you are Kira."

Oh snap! Light just got served by senpai! I wonder where- never mind. Found her. Cinder hopped through the bushes other side of the wide path, two cups of coffee in her hands. She acted like she was on a secret spy mission. I guess that's what she thought when she saw my position.

Light narrowed his eyes a bit at L. I bet he was cursing the detective out in his mind.

"Besides," L went on, "you told me yourself that you missed having me around at school so I figured why not come back for a little old change of pace? As long as it doesn't kill me, college is a lot of fun."

Apparently L and I went to the same college. Oh, that's right. I took the online classes. The relaxing ones where I could binge eat on my bed while being in class at the same time. Ah, the memories.

"I've got to admit, without you around, intelligent conversation is hard to come by."

"Heh, I see. Luckily Kiyomi and Misa are there to fill the void."

"I don't know about Misa… but something like that."

Suddenly, Cinder stormed out of the bushes yelling, "Sneak attack!" She opened a lid to one of the cups and tried to throw it on Light. Instead, she missed terribly and it just made a puddle on the ground beside him.

I facepalmed. Light tilted his head. "Uh, what was that for?"

Cinder shrugged. "It helps the boredom."

I took it as my que to pop out from behind the bench and say, "Surprise!" Light jumped in surprise, then rolled his eyes. "I've been here the whole time!" Like a stalker. Now he's gonna think I'm a stalker.

"Stalker," muttered Cinder. I slapped her playfully.

"Hey, do you wanna get some cake with us in the cafeteria?" asked L, slipping on his shoes.

"Sure," Light agreed. "I have a break now anyway."

"Mm, that's perfect. I'm kinda craving short cake right now." Cinder, L, Light, and I began down towards the cafeteria.

"Well, let's hope they have it."

"Light!" called a familiar high voice from behind us. "There you are! I had a photoshoot nearby so I thought I'd come by to see you!" We looked over our shoulders to see her, blonde hair and black clothes, staring happily at Light.

L looked a bit too happy to see her, but Light quite the opposite. You'd think a boyfriend would be happy to see his girlfriend. Hmm…

"Oh these must be friends of-" She stopped when she saw me. I thought she'd kind of freak out in a jealous rage, but instead smiled brightly and gave me a quick hug. "Winter! I didn't think I'd see you here!" Funny how it's like I'm her best friend and this is only our second meeting.

I introduced her to Cinder who tried acting polite and not obnoxious. Light then introduced her to L. She struggled on his name, and suspiciously the area above his head. He used his college alias Hideki Ryuga.

"Light…" L said, staring at Misa with interest. "You're a lucky guy." Both Misa and Light gave a little gasp of shock. Cinder almost burst out laughing while I just observed. "I have been a huge fan of yours ever since the August issue of Eighteen."

Misa glowed with pride. "What? Really?! That's so sweet of you." Being a famous model, she was easily noticed by many students who passed by. They began crowding around her. Suddenly she exclaimed, "No way, somebody just touched my butt!" We turned to see L's hand up and his eyes wide. A part of me inside was jealous, but… ah, it was too cute not to laugh.

"This is an outrage!" L exclaimed in his best acting voice. He sweared to find whoever was responsible for it. Surprisingly Misa wasn't creeped out. Instead she found him to be funny.

Her agent swooped in and dragged the famous model away. She waved goodbye to us and the crowd disbanded until it was only Cinder, Light, L and I again.

We were about to go to the cafeteria together until Light said he had to use the restroom. Cinder and I shrugged and dragged L away from Light.

I glanced behind me to see Light take out his phone. Frowning, I stopped in my tracks. Cinder and L did the same. Suddenly, a phone near us rang. I was surprised when L opened the lid of a phone. Misa's phone.

That sorry son of a-

Cinder snatched the phone and answered it in her most annoying voice. "Customer service, how may I direct your call?" Behind us, Light's eyes were narrowed as he grunted.

"What the heck are you doing?" he asked in a low, stone hard voice.

"Oh, is that you Light? Hmm, what a coincidence. I just found this phone on the ground. Must've been dropped during the commotion earlier with Misa."

Light stood firm and unmoving as he stared at us. A chill went up my spine when his cold eyes passed over me.

"Uh hello? Light, are you-" I swiped the phone and shut the lid and walked over to him. Light did the same. We met halfway.

"That's Misa's cellphone you have," Light stated, motioning to the red phone in my hand. "I can give it back to her." Shrugging, I handed it over to him and began walking back to the cafeteria with L and Cinder at my side.

A phone in L's pocket rang, so he stopped and answered it. "Yes?... Yes I see… So it's done then?... I understand…" After the conversation ended, L briefly flashed a winning smirk before turning to Light. "I'm not exactly sure how you'll take this, but regarding Misa Amane, there's something you should know. We've taken her into custody under suspicion of being the second Kira."

I could see it already. Light's mind must've been going crazy. His world must've stopped.

"We've gathered physical evidence from the envelopes that were sent by the second Kira," L went on. "In particular, we recovered hairs and fibers from the masking tape used to seal them. They matched what we found in Misa's room."

They were searching Misa's room? Isn't that a little… invading?

"There would be a public outroar if it gets out that she's been apprehending as the second Kira, so officially we've charged her manager with drug possession and she's a voluntary witness. But I doubt any of this will get out…"

* * *

When we arrived back at the hotel, the boys were still gone so Cinder and I decided to wait outside for them. She laid pathetically on the bench while I counted all the blue cars that passed by us on the road.

Finally, after twenty minutes of waiting, I saw them running up the sidewalk towards us. Beyond wore dark jeans and a black shirt. Hollow wore a maroon shirt and regular jeans. Both Matt and Mello in their usual attire.

Cinder shot up from the bench to greet them happily, but instead of a hug, Beyond turned her around and pushed her forward. "We need to go," he announced to us.

Matt took my shoulders from behind and urged me into the hotel room, but I brushed him away. "What's going on? Why are you in a hurry?"

"Look, we don't have time for questions!" Mello exclaimed sternly. "We need to-"

A roar of shouts flooded up the street as a couple black cars came zooming towards us. I squinted to see men sticking out the window with large guns in their hands.

"What the f-"

"We're gonna die!" yelled Hollow, sweat rolling down his face. "We can't go inside or they'll just chase us in there!" Mello nodded at Beyond, then the two shoved everyone forward and into my car parked on the curb.

We poured inside. Beyond the driver. I the passenger. The other four in the backseat. Turning the car on, Beyond slammed on the gas and we took off.

"What the HECK happened?!" asked Cinder as she glanced behind us to the guys with the guns. "Who are they and why do they look like they wanna kill us?"

Mello clenched his fists and Matt bit his lip. "We haven't had the best day."


	26. The Chase

"The morning was actually pretty decent," Matt said, fiddling with his goggles. "Had some coffee and jam, played in the arcade, almost ran over an elderly person on a motorized wheelchair. The usual."

I frowned as Beyond continued for him. "Then we, uh, accidently stumbled upon something we shouldn't have."

"And that was…?"

"An illegal drug deal with the most infamous, and quite dangerous, Tokyo gang." Hollow gulped. "Yeah, let's just say it didn't go so well."

"Mello practically killed a guy when he tried to tackle him." I glared at Mello from the passenger seat.

"He deserved it!" Mello defended himself, crossing his arms. "When we tried to leave, they attacked us. We managed to get out without major injuries, but they followed us."

"And here we are!" Matt laughed nervously, but immediately regretted it. "Yeah, um, this isn't going to end well."

"How do we get away from these guys?" Cinder bit her lip nervously. "We can't drive forever."

"The way I see it, we only have two options." I constantly looked back at our pursuers while talking. Mello leaned forward to listen. "One, we eliminate them." Mello rolled his eyes. "Two, we fake our death. That's the only way they'll leave us alone."

"How do we do that?" Beyond asked, brushing a hand through his messy black hair.

I stared at the steering wheel, then back at the men with guns. "Move over and I'll show you." I jumped on top of Beyond and immediately took controls, latching myself with the seatbelt.

In a jolting swerve, we were headed towards the docks. "Maybe we can crash into an abandoned building or something," I suggested. "Then escape before the car explodes- wait, what am I saying? We can't fake our deaths!"

Matt frowned. "Why not?"

"Because it'll ruin my car!" Everyone, but me, gave a collective sigh, then all started arguing at once. Matt and Cinder thought we should drive into a building. Hollow thought we should go to the police station. Mello thought we should blow the perps up. Beyond thought we should jump out and stab them (I don't know why).

Our argument was cut short by the sound of gunfire. They began shooting at us! I ducked my head low enough to not get shot, but still see the road. Mello held onto Matt, Matt held onto Hollow, and Hollow held onto Cinder. Beyond just cursed from the passenger seat, grabbing his head.

Glass shattered and my heart pounded out of my chest. They kept shooting at the car, _my_ car, trying to slow us down. When they stopped, everyone looked behind us to see them slam on their brakes.

We were highly confused until Cinder looked forward and screamed bloody murder. Snapping our heads in her direction, my heart fell when I realized we were at the shipping yard, driving down the wooden dock.

Everyone screamed as the car launched into water. The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment. Time stopped. Gravity was no more. We seemed to be in slow motion.

Then, God hit the play button.

We pounded into the water. Since the windows were shot at and broken, water flooded quickly through. On instincts, we began to unbuckle ourselves.

But my seatbelt was stuck. It wouldn't open. My friends didn't notice me through all the commotion as they climbed out the windows and floated to the surface.

Struggling, I pulled and pulled, trying to get out of the seatbelt. The air in my mouth was decreasing and I started feeling drowsy. After minutes and minutes of trying, my vision started getting more blurry.

I felt like this was when I'd die. I knew that I didn't have long to live. But there was so much unsaid, unfinished. Who was Kira? Would Misa fess up? I never got a kitten. I'll never see A again and capture him.

Just as I felt all hope was lost, my savior came. A figure appeared on my window. I felt the belt snap, probably from a knife. Then, arms pulled me out the window. Whoever's carrying me must be strong. I assumed Mello or Beyond came back to save me. Beyond? Nah, he didn't do it the first time I almost drowned.

Air. Sweet, amazing air. I took a million breaths as we resurfaced. I was too weak to swim, so the arms brought me to the dock.

I did have enough strength to hoist myself up onto the wooden floor. Coughing up water, I saw the figured rest beside me through my water filled eyes.

Rubbing my eyes, I blinked a million times until I could see clearly. I saw him. L Lawliet. My rescuer. Just like all those years ago. He saved me, again.

"L…" My soft voice caused him to come close and wrap his arms around me. It took a couple more minutes to recover, coughing up more water and rubbing our eyes.

Sitting up on the dock, I saw my other friends spread out around me. Mello was rested next to Matt, making sure he was okay. Beyond was with Cinder, wringing out her wet hair gently. Hollow laid on the dock and stared up at the dark clouds looming over us.

"How did you find us?" Matt asked L once we all stood up.

Hollow stepped forward anxiously. "I pressed my panic button a million times. L gave it to me in case we got in danger, like this."

"It sent a message to Watari," L explained, taking my hand, "displaying your location. Luckily, you all weren't so far away. Watari and I followed your vehicle until it stopped here."

Mello coughed, shaking his drenched hair. Matt wiped the inside of his goggles. Beyond put an arm around Cinder, then Cinder took Hollow's hand.

Rain began to pour down, slowly at first, then very erratically. With my friends at my side, we trudged down the dock and to Wammy's limo.

* * *

I had to look away as my grandfather put the cloth in Misa's mouth so she wouldn't bite her tongue. My other friends were across the hall, not allowed to watch Misa's confinement. I sat next to L, my eyes averted to the wall.

She kept saying to kill her. That's all she said. She just wanted to die. I know it was extreme to keep her here, but L thought she would confess. Now I think this will only end up traumatizing her.

She then began to say something, shaking her head and what not. I forced myself to look. Just as I did, a strand of her hair moved. There was no wind or ventilation. In fact, she remained completely still. It just moved.

L noticed it too because he gave a slight gasp. But we both kept quiet. After that, nothing was the same. She passed out so we took off the cloth. When she regained consciousness, she was talkative, pouring words out of her mouth non-stop. She was more annoying than ever.

I felt terrible for Misa. I know she was nettlesome sometimes, but she didn't deserve this. The means of confinement used by L and the Task Force was a bit on the cruel side. I couldn't stand to watch her plead for her freedom.

Light finally arrived. The room was silent as he stepped in. I turned around in my chair to face him, wiping away a couple worried tears from my cheek. He glanced at me for a moment to see if I was alright, then looked at L who had his back facing him.

"Ryuzaki," he began. "Like I said over the phone, I could be Kira." The look on Mr. Yagami's face should've been hilarious as heck, but I was too shocked to laugh.

He's openly admitting that he could be Kira? This doesn't make sense.

Mr. Yagami grabbed his son's shoulders saying, "No Light! What are you talking about? Why would you even say something like that? Why?!" I thought it was way too dramatic.

Why is he announcing it though? Isn't he just digging himself a deeper hole? Or it could be an act. Yes, why do this? It has to be all an act for a bigger purpose.

Light looked at the floor, away from his dad, sadly. "Look Dad. If Ryuzaki is L then it's safe to say that he's the world's best detective, and right now he seems pretty sure that I'm Kira. We know L's never been wrong before."

Eh, he makes a good point. L's never been wrong, and he won't start now.

I was even more surprised when he started giving off amazing reasons why he could be Kira. The fact that the dead FBI agent, Raye Penber, was following Light when he died. The fact that Light was in Aoyama on May 22nd. And the fact that he was the first person Misa, suspected of being the second Kira, approached. Hmm, what a coincidence.

"...You see, subconsciously, I might be Kira. If that were the case, I could be him and not even know it."

Mr. Yagami's eyes were as freaking wide as a bowling ball. "No Light. "

Subconsciously, huh? That's what you're going with? Well then, two can play that game. "Light, that's not possible." Light looked between me and L.

"Not possible? What do you mean?"

L continued for me. "Well, we've never mentioned this to you, but at one point I had hidden surveillance cameras installed in your room for five days."

Burrrrrn!

Light's eyes went wide. "Cameras?" Yep, you pervert.

"Every single night, you slept normally." That's not creepy. "Criminals whose names were broadcast were still dying, even though you would've had no way of knowing about them…" As he went on, I watched Light's reaction. It remained a mix of shock and confusion, but it wasn't too dramatic. Just right…

Then, he sort of narrowed his eyes challengingly. That's when I knew it was all an act. "It wouldn't reveal that fact, huh?" Ending his act in confusion, he put a hand on his head. "I don't know, it could be true. I have to admit, I've found myself thinking that some criminals deserve to die. If I can think like Kira, how can I be sure that I'm not actually him?"

"Light," I said gently, causing him to look over at me. "Sometimes we all think like Kira a time or two. Just because you get angry at criminals doesn't mean you're Kira."

Matsuda agreed, defending Light's innocence. While he was speaking, L gave a side glare. _Why are you defending him?_ I rolled my eyes. _Because it's true._

Low and behold, Aizawa revealed that they were only watching him while he was at home. "Truth is, we weren't able to watch him every hour of the day. It's possible he could've found some way to kill those criminals while he wasn't at home."

Way to go Aizawa. Kill the mood. Ah, just kidding. I think everyone secretly believes that Light is Kira.

L then agreed to fully restrain Light and keep watch on him, just like Misa. So it was done. Light was put in a cell and we watched him from cameras.

After Light's confinement, his father volunteered the same. He believed that he couldn't work the case because he couldn't be objective, and didn't know what he was capable of.

Soon we had three people under surveillance. Light, Mr. Yagami, and Misa. Three poor souls.

The worst, most confusing part in all this confinement was when Light changed. One minute he was Light, stubborn and strong. The next, innocent and confused. His eyes changed. I don't know why or how, but they did.

Matt and Mello were a great addition to our group. They entertained Beyond and Hollow when we were busy working. The four boys didn't want to work on the case so they stayed in their hotel room. Cinder was here and there. Wherever, whenever she felt like it.

All of this was really confusing though. Was it ever gonna get better? Nope. Not for a long time.


	27. The Newlywed Game

"Does anyone have any 13's?" asked Beyond, peering over the cards in his hands. Mello cursed, tossing two cards at Beyond who snatched them up greedily. "Thanks."

Although Light was a suspect, L allowed us (after a little persuasion) to hang around in Light's cell. He has it secured with cameras anyway so no harm.

The first thing we thought of was to play cards. I don't know why. But "Go Fish" is kind of fun. Though when you're playing with Mello it gets a little… rough.

"Anyone got any 2's?" No one answered Mello. I shook my head. Beyond snickered at Mello's pissed off look. The blonde turned to the killer and frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

Beyond pursed his lips. "Nothing."

"You have a two, don't you?" Mello clenched his fist as Beyond shook his head. "Don't lie to me!"

Matt put a hand on Mello and pulled him to the ground. "Calm down dude. If he says he doesn't have it then he probably d-" Mello shoved the gamer off of him and pounced on Beyond.

Cards went flying everywhere as Mello skidded over the stacked pile. Light jumped up and landed on the edge of his bed. Hollow sprung up and back away. I slid back and Cinder stood.

Mello tackled Beyond, then they started wrestling. Hollow joined Light on his bed while Cinder and I attempted to pull the two boys apart.

"Get off me!" Beyond exclaimed while trying to push the blonde away. Mello grabbed Beyond by his shirt and shoved him against the cell bars.

Each of them threw a few punches before Cinder and I interveined. She seized Beyond's arms and pulled him away just as I did the same with Mello.

"Stop it!" I yelled. Mello glared at Beyond as he took out a bar of chocolate from his jacket and snapped it. Beyond narrowed his eyes as he began picking up the cards.

"I guess we're not playing that game anymore," Matt stated. "Anything we can play that's less violent?"

"Mello could make duck-duck-goose violent," Hollow answered. Light laughed lightly and sat on the floor next to Hollow. Cinder and I shared a secret glance. _You thinking what I'm thinking?_ I smirked. _Totally._

Beyond and Cinder nestled against each other. Matt and Mello sat cross legged next to each other. I sat alone. "L! Come here. I'm lonely."

Cinder rolled her eyes at me so I stuck my tongue out in return. Soon L appeared at the door and slipped inside and sat down by me. "Yes?"

"I was bored," I said, laying my head on his shoulder. "We're bored."

"The rest of the Task Force members are at their houses and will not return for a while." L hummed and looked at Mello. "Can you control yourself?" Mello grunted, but nodded. "What sounds intriguing?"

Cinder smiled evilly and rubbed her hands together. "Let's play the Newlywed Game." Beyond, Hollow, and I groaned. Matt, Mello, and Light looked confused.

"What's the Newlywed Game?" Light asked. Cinder snickered.

"You pick a partner," Hollow began.

"One person asks each pairing a question," Beyond went on for him.

"One person from each pairing must say what they think their partner would answer," I finished. Light groaned.

First, we picked partners, which wasn't hard. L and I. Beyond and Cinder. Matt and Mello. Hollow and Beyond. Next, it was time to play. Cinder decided she would be our spokeswoman.

Matt and Mello were up first. Mello would be answering. Cinder cleared her throat. "Finish this sentence. 'Matt is a natural-born _."

"Gamer," Mello answered quickly. Matt nodded. One point for Team 1.

Next, Beyond and Cinder. I gave the question to Cinder. "When Beyond says 'They're playing our song' what song is he talking about?"

Cinder gulped. "Uuuuhhhh." Beyond narrowed his eyes. Then, he started making a weird gesture with his hands. He looked like he was killing someone. Cinder snapped her fingers. "'I Never Told You What I Do For A Living' by My Chemical Romance!" Beyond cheered. One point for Team 2.

L's turn. "What's one thing Winter has too much of?"

L smirked. "My heart," he replied faintly. I blushed while Cinder cooed romantically. Hollow and Light gagged. One point for team 3.

Hollow and Light. "This won't end good," Light stated. "We don't know anything about each other."

"That's okay," Cinder said, waving a dismissive hand. "Now's the time to learn." Cinder thought for a moment. "What's Hollow's real name?"

"How would I know?" Light asked, folding his arms.

Cinder narrowed her eyes. "Just guess. It starts with an 'H'." After five minutes of guessing, he finally guessed Henry. We decided to give it to them. Team 4 has one point.

Round 2. The questions get harder. Matt and Mello are up again. This time, Matt will answer. "My friend worries most about his _."

Matt hesitated. "Hair?" Mello facepalmed.

"No, you idiot! Why would I care about my hair?"

"You spend, like, twenty minutes grooming it every morning. How many kinds shampoo bottles does one guy need?"

Cinder interrupted them so we could move on. Team 1 still have one point. Beyond's turn. "What is one thing Cinder does for you even though she absolutely hates it?"

Beyond clicked his tongue in thought. "Watch Blue Exorcist with me at night. I don't think she likes that show very much."

Cinder facepalmed. "Wow, you could not be more off."

Beyond frowned. "What do you hate?"

Cinder twirled her hair innocently, biting her bottom lip. "Eating jam." Beyond widened his eyes in disbelieve. "I only eat it with you because you really enjoy it."

"I-I'm so sad now…" I bit my tongue so I didn't laugh at Beyond. I coughed awkwardly and let Cinder continue with the questions. Team 2 has only one point. Now it was my turn.

"Now keep this in mind," Cinder said before giving me the next question. "This is just fiction, it wouldn't happen." I nodded. "If L hired a beautiful, blonde secretary, what would you do?"

L smirked, and I clenched my fist. "Uh, I would take one look at her, scowl, then shove her butt out the door." Light laughed, rolling his eyes. Two points Team 3.

Next was Light and Hollow. "What is Light's favorite type of movie?" Hollow studied his friend for a moment, biting his lip. "I'd say crime or action. I can tell you're a Fast and Furious type of guy."

Light blinked. "H-How did you know that?"

Hollow shrugged. "I'm around L a lot so I know how to observe my surroundings and make analyzes about people." Light smiled with satisfaction. Two points for Team 4.

The FINAL round! "Okay, since it's the final round," Cinder announced, "the two leading teams with go head to head. Team 3 vs Team 4.

We picked two representatives for each pairing. L and Hollow. Cinder was the spokesman. She asked Hollow the first question. "What is Light's favorite food?"

Hollow glanced at his partner before answering, "Potato chips." Light smirked with triumph.

"Eh? How did you know that?"

Hollow shrugged. "When he comes to the crumbs on his shirt I spot every time he comes in and the multiple times he goes to the vending machine in our hotel to buy them, I'd say he has a problem." They shared a smile and Cinder moved onto L.

"What is Winter's favorite food?"

"Ice cream," L replied simply. "I'd know after the numerous binges on the kitchen floor." I blushed.

Cinder turned to Hollow. "In Light's opinion, what is your best trait." Light whispered something in her ear to make sure he answered correctly.

Hollow thought for a moment. "I'd say it's my… observation skills. He mentioned something about that before, and I'd say it's quite amazing that I don't know him but I can still state his favorite food." Another point for their team.

I whispered my answer to Cinder when L's turn came. L looked up at the ceiling in thought. Then he looked back at Cinder. "In Winter's opinion, my best trait is that I'm always there for her. Whenever she's in danger, I'm at her side to protect her." Jeez, he nailed it straight on.

Cinder didn't seem impressed though. Nothing about our detective friend surprises her anymore. "It is tied. Final question. Whoever wins this, wins the game." She turned to Hollow and took a deep breath. "What did Light want to be when he grew up?"

"Seeing as how Light is persistent and doesn't give up easily, I'd say he wanted to be a detective; he wanted to be like his father."

Light pursed his lips and smiled. "I've got to admit, I admire your observation skills greatly. Unfortunately, when I was a pre-teen, I, for some reason, wanted to be a firefighter."

Hollow's face dropped slightly, but he smiled. "Close enough." Light and Hollow shared a smile. I could tell they were going to be good friends.

"L, same question!" Cinder leaned forward, inches from L's blank face. "What did she want to be?"

L turned around and gazed into my eyes, his face softening. "Winter wanted to be someone who could help people. She loved helping people and she wanted to do it for the rest of her life."

Sounds cliche, but true. I leaned in and kissed L on the lips, slowly wrapping my arms around him. We won. "You know me so well."

After it was over, no one really wanted to leave so we just chilled in Light's cell for a while longer. Truth is, Light wasn't so bad. When he was innocent.

Maybe I did believe that he was subconsciously Kira. I knew that the Light we hung out with all day wasn't a murderer. Something changed, and I was determined to find out what.

* * *

Later that night, L decided that everyone deserved one good night's sleep. He sent Matsuda and Aizawa cheerfully back to their homes until morning.

Hollow glanced at the surveillance cameras, specifically weak Light, and went to bed in his room. I peeked into their room to discover that Beyond and Cinder fell asleep together on the couch.

Matt and Mello were passed out in the other bedroom while Hollow snored loudly in his. I smiled to myself, then returned to my hotel room.

Instead of going back to L, I went into Watari's room. I realized that I'd never been in his room before. One side of the room had his bed, nightstand, and dresser. The other had all his equipment; desk, computers, monitors, reports. I was surprised that everything fit neatly.

My grandfather was sitting at the desk going through some files. Knocking on the door lightly caused him to look up. "Ah, Winter. What is it my dear?"

Taking one look at the full coffee mug beside him, I shook my head. "I think you should get some sleep."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. As long as L is up, I am up as well." Laughing lightly, I snatched the folder within my fingertips, closing it and laying in back on the desk.

"Grandfather, you've been working hard. You deserve the rest. Besides, it was L himself that said _everyone_ needed a good night's sleep."

Watari sighed, knowing that wouldn't leave him alone until he went to bed. "Oh, alright. I guess a couple hours of rest wouldn't hurt." I waited on his bed while he went to the bathroom and changed, brushed his teeth, and got ready for bed.

When he returned, I stood up and smiled. "Go to sleep. I don't want to see you up at your computer until you've had at least 6 hours."

Chuckling, Watari pulled me in for his famous grandfatherly hugs. His figure was soft and warm, bringing back many comforting memories as a child. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne fading away.

Kissing me lightly on the forehead, he ruffled my hair before climbing into bed. I turned off the night and shut the door. Returning to the living room, I found L perched on his chair, biting his thumbnail in distant thought.

Squeezing his shoulders, I made him snap be into reality. "Is Watari still awake?"

Shaking my head, I pulled up a chair. "No, I made him go to bed. He needs it."

"Good. For a moment I was concerned he would not because I am staying awake."

I snorted. "No you're not."

L stared at me with an emotionless face. "Winter, I cannot sleep. For I am an insomniac. It is not in my nature to sleep. You, on the other hand, should be heading to your room soon."

Laughing, I took L's hand and dragged him out of the chair. He stood awkwardly as I pulled the coffee table out of the way and against a distant wall. Next, I started laying thick blankets I retrieved from the closet on the floor between the couches and chairs. After that, I put every unused pillow in the hotel room on the blankets.

Seizing L's arm, I pulled him down the floor. From where we laid at the area right by the window, the night stars were faintly visible, but the city lights were just as bright as the moon.

"Go to sleep," I ushered quietly as we laid under a blanket, staring at the city surrounding us.

"Not likely," L answered back just as quiet. Giving a small huff, I yawned and laid my head on his chest.

"At least lie with me until I fall asleep." My eyes hurt from the lack of sleep and my body was slowly shutting off for the night. I could feel my eyelids getting heavier.

"Alright," L answered softly, stroking my blonde hair. "Only for you Wonderland."

Yawning, I smiled. "Thank you Panda…" And the last thing I heard before I fell asleep was L's heartbeat getting slower and slower and slower...


	28. Weird Day

"Winter, what are we doing here?" Light creased his eyebrows as I took off the blindfold. We underground, in a tunnel or car parking area. Darkness was all around us, except for the dim lights secured on the walls in sequence.

I waited before answering, listening for the sound of an upcoming car. When I heard none, I sighed, not looking him in the eyes. "I'm sorry Light, I never wanted this to happen."

I could hear the tiny clink of Light's handcuffs as she shifted uncomfortably. "What are you talking about? I thought Ryuzaki was letting me go."

Finally I forced myself to look at my new friend in his big, innocent eyes. "I've started to get to know you better. At first, I wasn't too fond of you. But yesterday was great. I'm sorry things had to end this way. I was really hoping our friendship could grow."

Before Light could respond, the sound of a car approaching jolted him. Automatic light filled the tunnel, temporarily blinding us as it came closer. I stood firm and strong next to Light, not making a move.

We squinted as Mr. Yagami and Misa got out of the car. "Light!" Misa shouted, running to him. She too was still restrained.

"Misa!" Light stepped to his girlfriend. "Dad, tell me what's all this about?"

Misa's face dropped slightly. "He's your dad?" Her eyes went big. "Oh my gosh, I totally called your dad a stalker and said he was old and all kinds of other rude stuff! Please to meet you! My name's Misa Amane, I'm Light's girlfriend and I-"

Mr. Yagami ignored the babbling girl and approached me. Without hesitation, I dropped the set of keys into his open palm. "Good luck Mr. Yagami." He gave me a grateful nod.

Unlocking the car, he looked at Misa and Light. "Let's go. Get in the car." They stared back at him with confusion and uncertainty, but quickly obeyed.

I stood stone cold and frozen as they drove away. When they were out of sight, I fell to my knees. That was absolutely difficult. Lying to Light. It felt like I was sentencing him to his death.

Gathering myself, I choked back the tears and got into the car that brought Mr. Yagami and Misa here. Driving out of the dim place, I returned to sunlight and smiled.

Back on the road, I headed back to Headquarters to await everyone's return. Rolling to a stoplight, I checked my phone to see if anyone had called me. Nope.

When the light turned green, I turned right and made my way down the highway. In the lane beside me, running in the opposite direction, I spotted a black car SUV going dangerously fast.

The windows were blacked out so I couldn't see inside, but I knew they were either drunk or young. I was about to call it in when the car swerved into my lane. My lane!

It was now headed straight for me, ready to crash in a violent manner. In one quick, erratic motion, I swerved the car to the right and off the road, barely missing its impact. The sharp scraping sound where our vehicles met was brief.

The car I was in rolled. Everything scattered and my head bumped against the roof more times than once. Finally it came to a stop and I ended up upside down.

Clicking off my seatbelt, I fell to the ground, which was actually the roof. Slipping my phone in my pocket, I used an object from the backseat to smash out the window.

Once outside, I looked back to where the SUV almost hit me, but it was gone. Grunting, I abandoned the car and marched off down the road.

On the sidewalk, I tempted to take out my phone and call L or a taxi, but I decided against it. Why waste the energy? The hotel was only a couple blocks away anyways.

Since it recently rained, pools of muddy water spotted the sidewalk and street. The air was musty and stale. The passerbys were tired and sore. Everything about this day seemed depressing. I just wanted to get it over with.

A red car came down the street from behind me. It was going relatively fast, so when it hit a large puddle of muddy water, it sprayed the water all over me like a hose.

Not only did I get run off the road and had my vehicle flipped, but now I'm drenched in mud water. What the heck was wrong with this day?

* * *

After taking a long shower, I put on sweatpants and a comfy tee, then went to Misa's room. You know, I really wish I hadn't.

The minute I opened the door I heard this from Aizawa: "Would you cut it out with all dating, kissing, and Misa Misa talk already?! This is the Kira investigation! Stop messing around!"

Closing the door, I marched to Matt's room. I stayed in there for awhile playing video games with Matt and Mello. Ah the life. Video games and warm showers.

* * *

"Just keep typing. Just keep typing." I said in a sing songy voice while sitting next to Light. We were in our new Headquarters and L and Light were chained together.

"Winter," Light tried saying in a stern voice, but only ended up laughing. "Really?" I nodded and continued my song.

L sighed. Light and I turned our heads to see him gazing to nowhere in particular over the back of his chair. "Ryuzaki!" I said in a high-pitched voice, causing him to look at me with narrowed eyes.

Light turned back to the screen. "I know you're not feeling up to it," he said to L, "but come over here for a second. Take a close look at this, you too Winter." L and I leaned close to Light and watched the screen.

Important companies' CEOs recently just died of heart attacks. It couldn't be a coincidence. Their companies were plummeting, but one in particular was rising. "Yotsuba."

"Their deaths," Light said, "have worked in Yotsuba's favor. Looking back there have been 13 similar deaths in the past 3 months."

"Did someone say 13?" called a voice from behind us. We didn't need to turn around to know it was Beyond. He joined us.

"Based on this, I can only conclude Kira is supporting Yotsuba." Beyond leaned in and smirked.

"Or," my jam-obsessed friend said, "he's one of them." I swear that we all blinked once in unison. Taking a closer look, L hummed.

"That would mean that punishing criminals is not this Kira's intent." L rubbed his lip with his thumb. "He's only killing for the company."

It was a small victory, knowing more about this Kira, but it all went downward from there. When Mogi and Mr. Yagami returned, they had grim news. "Turns out Kira has been bribing politicians." He recalled what the Director told him. "So that's that. The police caved into him."

Everyone gave a collective gasp. "What?" I frowned deeply. "That's so unfair! What does that mean for us?"

"It means that if you two," he said, speaking to Aizawa and Matsuda, "want to continue working this case, you must sacrifice your jobs at the NPA."

Mogi and Mr. Yagami had already made up their minds; they were staying. Matsuda easily agreed to stay as well. But Aizawa was a different story.

He sort of had a little breakdown, resisting the strong urge to cry. "What kind of friend would I be to Ukita if I quit now?" he asked to himself, eyes closed tightly.

I moved from my position to wrap my arms around Aizawa. He gasped for a moment, unsure of what to do. "Aizawa, he would understand. You're young and you've got a family. Don't be so hard on yourself." I let go and stepped back.

"What about you?" he asked me. I shrugged carelessly.

"I haven't used any of my vacation time ever since I started working. I've still got awhile til it runs out. We'll be fine."

It goes without saying that Aizawa didn't leave in a good mood. He was ticked at L and said he hated him. We watched him leave with sadness, but were forced to move on with the case.

I felt a small nudge, but I didn't open my eyes. Not until someone nudge me harder did I finally awake from my small nap. "Wha…?"

"We're going over information," Light whispered. "We've found something." Turns out, all the deaths are concentrated around the weekends.

Rubbing my eyes, a chill ran up my spine. Instantly I straightened my back, my brain on full alert. They were here. Heh, I'm not surprised. "Matsuda," I said.

He immediately stood up. "Yes Winter?"

"Can I get three cups of coffee please?"

He tilted his head in confusion. "What? Why three?"

"One for me." Standing up, I flattened the front of my blue shirt. "And two for our guests Weddy and Aiber." Everyone, but L, instantly snapped their heads in my direction, then followed my gaze.

The two criminals relaxed on the couch, their backs facing us. Matsuda gasped in shock and wonder. "Who are they?"

"Hold on a sec," Light began, "who let them in?"

I smirked as L explained. "Those two are the newest members of the Task Force." Weddy and Aiber approached us. Weddy wore a black and white striped business shirt and skirt. Aiber wore a black suit with a maroon shirt.

"The name's Aiber," the dirty blonde man announced. "I'm a con man. How's it goin?" I snickered and moved closer.

"I'm Weddy," said the proper blonde woman. "And I'm a thief by trade."

"Oh, a con man and a thief." Mr. Yagami didn't seem too happy to be working with criminals. I didn't care. I ran to Weddy and gave her a hug. Then, I gave one to Aiber.

"Good to see you guys again," I told them after the hugs. A faint, but genuine, smile appeared on Wedy's face. Aiber chuckled.

"You too Winter," he said with a smile on his face.

"You are looking better than ever," Weddy commented.

Light frowned. "How do you know them?" he asked me with arms crossed.

"One of my first cases was to find the local thief of Manchester. Mostly everyone believed there was only one, but I knew it was a duo. I met them at the department Christmas party. I literally spent the whole party with them instead of searching for suspects. The next morning we discovered that our department had been robbed."

Beyond nodded with admiration. "Impressed. The disguise of distraction. Also one of my specialties."

"I found them later that day at a cafe, but didn't turn them in."

Matsuda seemed baffled. "Why didn't you turn them in? They were criminals!"

"She couldn't turn us in," Aiber stated. "She just liked us too much." I laughed at the fond recollection. He was right. I didn't want to see those two rot in prison.

"Next thing we know she pays for our brunch and lets us walk free," Weddy ended with a gentle smile on her delicate face. "Here we are today."

"I would've turned them in," muttered Mr. Yagami.

Beyond and the rest of my friends easily warmed up to them. After short intros, we began our main task. Hey, maybe this wouldn't be too hard after all…

* * *

 **~3rd POV~**

The heels of his sleek black shoes clicked loudly on the floor, echoing through the hallway as he strided down it. The confident smirk on his face was uncomparable to any other's. Grasped between his fingers was the handle of a dark briefcase that made him look slightly more professional.

At this point, being in the building he was in and walking to the room that held his future, his ego was through the roof. Just like the company's mysterious fortune.

At the end of the hall, he stopped. Directly in front of him was the meeting room. Straightening his red tie, the man took a deep breath that concealed his confidence and humility inside of him.

Knocking on the door, he waited. Hearing the sharp steps of quick feet, he swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. His plan would work efficiently. He had left no stone unturned. Everything would go according to plan.

When the door opened, he instantly glowed with a perfect aura. He was the kind of man every company wanted. Sharp witted, charming, attractive, and skilled with the ladies. Oh, let's not forget he had a master plan. One plan that every company wanted their hands on.

That's what he would give them. The overview. Never the details; he kept those for himself because they were too personal. The company wouldn't care about his personal vengeance. All they wanted was the power.

Soon, this one man, this one evil, clever, merciless, poor-souled man, would give them that exact power. All in time.

As he shook the hand of the Yotsuba President, he sealed the deal. The deal to Yotsuba's future. The deal to his future. The deal to Winter's future.


	29. Save Matsu

"Did you know that-"

"Beyond, don't start." I gave him a stern eye look. I knew he gonna say it. That smirk told me so.

"I am the world's top three killers all in one?" I facepalmed in my rolling chair. "Yep. I'm Beyond Birthday, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer all rolled into one."

Light and Mr. Yagami cringed. "I don't think you want to be Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer," Light said. Hollow gagged beside him. "Seriously? Don't you know what he did to his victims?"

"Yes," Beyond said with an evil smile. Then, he burst out laughing. "I-I'm just kidding. I would never do anything that disgusting. I'll just stick with a knife." Cinder rolled her eyes.

Everyone, except Misa and Matsuda, were in the main room of HQ going over new info. Eraldo Coil, aka L, got a request to uncover the identity of L. From Yotsuba.

"Alright," Aiber said, leaning against the table, "I just have to get close to him, right? Leave it to me."

Weddy was looking as stylish as ever today. "And you want me to make sure that we're able to breach the security and override the surveillance cameras in the Yotsuba head office? Is that all?"

"Yes," L replied. We were all standing around him. "At this point, it's safe to assume that Kira and the Yotsuba group are connected in some way. We're going to investigate Yotsuba to determine who holds Kira's power and if there's more than one person who possesses this ability. We need a clear understanding quickly."

"Got it. What can I do?" L lifted his head to me with a blank face.

"Since Matsuda is with Misa, you can get us more coffee." I frowned deeply and pouted. Weddy and Aiber prepared for their important jobs. Mr. Yagami, Mogi, Light, and L kept doing their jobs at the monitors. Hollow helped Light. Beyond and Cinder disappeared upstairs, most likely to play games with Matt and Mello.

I was _not_ gonna turn into Matsuda 2. HECK NO. I needed to do something important, and I needed to do it fast.

It must've been a miracle because Grandfather's letter flashed on the screen. "Ryuzaki. I have just received an emergency signal from Matsuda's belt." Matsuda? Is he in trouble?

L didn't seemed concerned one bit. "Oh, where is he?"

"It seems that it is coming from within the head office of the Yotsuba group." That idiot… Well, I'll give him points for trying. Everyone gave a collective hum.

"Disregard everything I just said," L announced. "I'll need to rethink our strategy. Matsuda you idiot!"

Matsuda's in Yotsuba? Someone needs to save him.

"Let me and Cinder go!" I announced, stepping forward. Cinder widened her eyes and fell off the chair. "We can go with Misa, right? Let us help save Matsuda."

Cinder began to protest. "Whoa, wait. I did not-"

"I think that would work," Light said. I mouthed _thank you_ and he nodded gratefully. "We could use some clever eyes on the inside."

L thought about it, looking between Light, Cinder, and I for a minute. I could see it in his eyes; he didn't want us to go. The Yotsuba men weren't ones to be messed with. For all we knew they could be in possession of a Death Note. Only L and I knew about the Death Note, Light if he's actually Kira. No one else knew the actual danger we'd face by going into enemy territory.

"Alright," L finally concurred. "I suppose someone has to go and save that idiot."

We quickly devised a plan. The first thing on our list was to find out the situation Matsuda was currently in. L called him. "Yo Matsue! Yeah, it's me Asahi. It's been awhile buddy."

It was surprising how good L was at acting out of character. Beyond, Hollow, Cinder, Mello, and Matt all watched him with interest, seeing how their role model acts in dangerous situations. I just sat there like a potato.

L listened to Matsuda's voice on the other end. "Hehe, it doesn't sound like you're out right now. Don't tell me you're home already." As L talked, his face was blank and bored. "So you buy yourself?"

Putting his hand on the phone, L and whispered, "He's not with Misa Amane right now. Matsuda must be on his own." Light and Mr. Yagami nodded.

"So do you wanna, like, go out drinking tonight?" Mello smirked. I knew what he was thinking so I wagged my finger at him. "Ah, what's the matter? Don't tell me your wallet is _in trouble_ again?"

In trouble. Honestly, if I were in Matsuda's situation, I'd be too panicky to notice the code words. "Matsuda's saying he's in big trouble," L told us in another whisper.

"That's too bad," he went on. "Guess I'll drag you out some other time, alright? See ya buddy." Then, he hung up.

Light immediately trying calling Misa, but she didn't pick up so he left a voicemail. "What are you planning to do Ryuzaki?" Mr. Yagami asked the detective.

"Well… We have to consider that if Matsuda dies, our suspicions about the Yotsuba group would be confirmed." Is he hoping that idiot dies? "Let's just watch the situation for the time being."

"He's right," I mumbled. "We can't do anything without Misa. She's practically his whole cover story."

Soon, Light's phone rang. "Misa? Misa, you're not with Matsuda at the moment, are you?" We waited in suspense. "Misa's just received a call from Matsuda."

Cinder stood up. "I'm ready whenever you are," she told me. We nodded to L and started to head down to her shoot. On the way, I got an update call from Light.

"Misa's got your outfits covered. You, Cinder, and a couple of other girls will join Misa and go into Yotsuba."

I frowned. "Wait, what outfits?"

* * *

The outfits turned out to be a cut off, breezy top and a matching short skirt. I chose blue and Cinder was stuffed into a red. We were thrown into a little party with the Yotsuba men.

We had champagne and fancy shrimp for appetizers. There was a camera in the corner of the room so I know L and the others were watching us.

Cinder was an astounding actress. Once the Yotsuba men stepped into the room she was all smiles and flirtation. I knew Beyond would be irked but it was for the good of Matsuda… Yeah, that wouldn't help.

Matsuda had a lot of drinks, slipped his phone in his pocket, and waltzed out of the room, probably to the bathroom to call L. I knew that when he came back, he'd have a plan.

I used this time to engorge myself in the fancy shrimp. It was quite delicious and I had more than a couple plates. After talking to most of the men, I chilled in the back of the room.

"You seem lonesome," came a voice from my left side. I turned to see one of the Yotsuba men standing next to me. Eh, at least he was the most decent one of them all. And good looking, almost like Light. Shingo Mido.

"It must seem that way," I murmured, taking a sip of my champagne. "It's not all that fun when you're called into work while trying to spend time with your family." I hope it was a convincible cover story.

Shingo just sighed and nodded. "I see." He looked at my empty cup. "Would you like a refill?"

"Shouldn't I be entertaining you?" I asked as he took my cup and filled it with the champagne on the table.

"It's my pleasure," he said, placing the cup back in my hand. Jeez, were all these Yotsuba charmers? I shivered. Not most of them. We had light conversation until Matsuda burst through the door.

Matsuda was drunk. He kicked the door open, startling everyone in the room. Shingo laid a protective, and somewhat nervous, hand on my left shoulder as Matsuda stumbled in the room.

"Wooow. I am _so_ drunk." In a dizzy and mumbling state, he trudged across the room towards the balcony. Was this L's master plan? "Hi everyone! Everyone having fun? Good. That's great."

Matsuda slid open the balcony door. I moved away from Shingo and towards the window. Cinder stood up. "Now everyone," Matsuda continued drunkenly. "The moment you've all been waiting for! The Taro Matsue Show! Haha!"

Gotta admit, he's good at acting drunk. I wonder if he's had experience.

Some of the men began calling out to him as he climbed onto the balcony edge. "Hey, what are you doing?" Misa, Cinder, and I shared glanced at each other.

Misa took a deep breath and began cheering him on. "Yay! You can do it! Go Matsu!" Hooked in on the act, we began cheering him on as well.

"Alright, here we go!" Matsuda held out his hands and balanced on the edge. Slowly he began taking steps. A couple of men ran out to the balcony and tried to coax him down.

My heart did a backflip as he did a handstand. The room erupted as every man started yelling at him to get down. I jumped a mile high in the air when he slipped off. Cinder covered her mouth and gasped.

Girls screamed and the men shouted. No one knew what to do. "Look everyone," Misa said. "I think you should all just leave this for us to take care of and go home. Don't worry, we'll handle it. Just don't forget about us for your next campaign, okay?"

Ambulance sirens blared below. While Cinder and Misa calmed the girls down, I lingered at the edge of the balcony. One the ground, two medics were taking the body on a stretcher. I noticed the spiky black hair under the hat of one of the men and smiled secretly.

* * *

I think our plan was finally going our way. Aiber called Yotsuba claiming to be Eraldo Coil and accepted their offer to find L's identity.

Right now I was living the dream. "L, are you listening? I am so disappointed. I thought this would be a challenge. Security level here is a joke. They've left it all to a single contractor. There weren't even any wiretap detectors." Weddy and I stood on the top of the Yotsuba building, the entire world all around us.

I joined her as she broke into their security system. Apparently to her it was a piece of cake but I had no idea what she was doing. I'm just glad I got to help.

"The view up here is amazing," I said to Weddy as she got off the phone with L. "Do you do this often?"

"Only when I have to," she answered, joining me by the edge on the front side of the roof. "Also when I need time to relax. Nighttime is always the best for this." I smiled with satisfaction. It was a gorgeous night. Nothing could ruin it.

On our way back, I made Weddy drop me off halfway there so I could stop at a shop and buy some stuff we needed. She drove away on her motorcycle while I went into the store and bought milk, cookies, jam, potato chips, and strawberries.

Carrying two sacks, I walked down the sidewalk and back to HQ. As I turned the corner, I stopped mid-step. A chill ran up my spine. Someone was watching me.

Slowly, I slid both bag handles in one hand, then reached for my gun in my jacket. Just as I touched the butt of it, I heard a small click and something shot into my neck from behind.

Cringing, I fell to my knees and felt the back of my neck. I pulled out a tranquilizer dart just as my vision started going blurry. Ever so slowly, I rested on my back and let my conscious fall asleep.


	30. The Third Successor

**Last time on "Not What She Expected"**

"Carrying two sacks, I walked down the sidewalk and back to HQ. As I turned the corner, I stopped mid-step. A chill ran up my spine. Someone was watching me.

Slowly, I slid both bag handles in one hand, then reached for my gun in my jacket. Just as I touched the butt of it, I heard a small click and something shot into my neck from behind.

Cringing, I fell to my knees and felt the back of my neck. I pulled out a tranquilizer dart just as my vision started going blurry. Ever so slowly, I rested on my back and let my conscious fall asleep."

 **Back to the story**

When my eyes fluttered open, I couldn't see. Darkness. I tried to move but I was restrained from behind. I tried to get up, but I was tied to something. A chair.

"Hello?" I whispered in the developing darkness. In an attempt to get free, I yanked and thrashed my arms and hands, but they wouldn't budge. I couldn't get out of this one.

My mind first went to A. Did he kidnap me? He did it one time, he could do it again. But last time he didn't use a tranquilizer gun.

Kicking my legs, I hit the legs of a table and gasped at the sharp pain. Well, my legs weren't tied together. I began to stand up when I heard a noise.

Lights suddenly illuminated the room, blinding me for a quick second. Blinking rapidly, I let my eyes adjust to the surroundings. From where I sat, it looked like I was being held in an interrogation room.

I sat in a chair on one side of a table. On the other side, a chair was empty. From behind that chair was a door. After a moment, it slowly creaked open.

A boy, a fairly young one, with snow white hair slid into the room quietly. His clothes resembled pajamas; just plain white. His face was emotionless and mysterious. He slowly sat in the chair across from me.

"Hey," I greeted cheerfully. He didn't say anything. In his hands was a folder. "So… what am I doing here?"

"You don't know?" he asked, setting the folder on the table.

"Uh, nope. I was just walking back home from the grocery store when I passed out from a tranquilizer dart. Mind explaining to me?" I scooted closer to the table between us.

Opening the folder, he took out a picture and slid it to me. I leaned forward and studied it. "Someone left this outside an orphanage a couple days ago with a note attached." It was a basket with a stuffed teddy bear inside. A note was taped to it.

"How am I involved?" His eye blank eye twitched.

"Read the note," he ordered. Squinting at the paper, I did. " _To L's top three successors. May your life be better than mine."_ L? Wait, so the orphanage…

"Someone sent this to Wammy's?" I wondered, staring at the mysterious boy in disbelief. I frowned. "What wrong with it?"

"L's top successors, and the idea of them, are suppose to remain confidential. However, this person sent this basket from across the country in order to taunt the three teens."

"Why are you telling me this then if it's confidential?" I asked mockingly.

The boy's eyes remained locked with mine. "I've done some research on you Wendy White. It seems as though you went to Wammy's when you were a child."

I blinked in shock. "H-How did you know that? Everything about Wammy's is suppose to be confidential." My voice rose a bit, but I lowered it.

He sighed, looking down and escaping my eyes. The boy pulled out a couple dominoes from his pocket and arranged them playfully on the table. "We found an active bomb in the stuffing of the bear. Luckily we deactivated it before it went off."

My eyes widened. "Holy crap…"

He snapped his head up at me and frowned. "We then traced the purchase of the bear to your account." I recoiled.

"My account? What? No way, I swear I didn't do it!"

"You are the prime suspect Ms. White. You perfectly fit the profile."

"Who are you to go around throwing accusations at people?" I challenged, eyes narrowed at the boy sitting across from me.

"I am L's top successor," he replied quietly. "I'm assuming you know his second and third already."

"Matt and Mello," I murmured.

"I am Near." I pursed my lips at the white haired boy. "Is there anything you'd like to say before I have the police arrest you?"

Closing my eyes, my mind whirled. I need to do something! I can't be arrested for something I didn't do! Think Winter. Who would want to harm the Wammy kids? Who would know where they are? Who would want to frame me?

"A!" I shouted. Near stopped his domino stacking. "I was framed and I know who did it. A. He used to be-"

"L's top successor, I know." Near lifted his head. "Like I've said, I've done my research."

"It use to be A and Beyond," I said, my mind spinning. "I was their friend. Then A tried to kill himself and Beyond ran off. It was never the same after that."

Near frowned. "What do you 'tried' to kill himself? It was reported that he did so successfully."

I bit my lip nervously. "I'm not speaking anymore without my personal law team." Personal law team? Was that a thing?  
Near narrowed his eyes. "Oh, and who would they be?"

I smirked. "L, Wammy, Cinder, Beyond, and Hollow."

* * *

When the doors opened, my team came rushing in. "Winter!" they shouted in unison. L wrapped me in his arms and my grandfather joined us. Soon we were all in one hugging pile.

When we pulled apart, Near came in and shut the door. "N," L and Watari said in unison.

"Hello Watari, L. Good to see you again." Near sat down and faced us on the other side of the room. He explained to my grandfather and L what happened and why I have been accused.

"Hollow, please deactivate all her accounts and start new ones," L ordered to the ginger haired boy. "Beyond, Cinder, and Hollow too, please understand that we never meant for this secret to hurt you."

The three frowned in confusion. I took a deep breath and explained everything to Near. How A captured me and revealed that he faked his death and that he was after a Death Note. A was smart so it was easy for him to hack into my account and use it.

After I was finished, Cinder gave me a hug. "It's fine," she said. "It must've been hard to keep that secret."

"Very," L and I muttered. Beyond and Hollow joined the hug as well.

"Near, I'm proud that you managed to trace the purchase back to its original source," Watari said, "but I must assure you that my granddaughter is not the culprit."

The sitting boy nodded. "Yes, after hearing her story I believe the same."

"Now all we have to do is find A." Beyond looked away sadly. A was his best friend. Was. Before he tried to kill himself. Now A was the traitor.

"Thank you all for coming in," I said when we were done talking, "but now I would like to speak with Near alone. So if you don't mind…" I glanced at the door.

Getting the hint, L, Watari, Cinder, Hollow, and Beyond left. Once the door shut, I sat back down. "It is my understanding that Mello and Matt are with you."

I nodded and folded my hands on the table. "Yes they are. But they aren't going back. They like it with us and make it fun when we aren't working hard."

"I do not wish to force them back to the orphanage," Near admitted. "They are old enough to leave. Although I have one request, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

"I would like to join you at the Kira Investigation Headquarters. I will work better there. Besides, I still have a job to do. I must protect you and find A."

"Protect me?" I asked curiously. "When did that become part of your job?"

"From the moment I discovered that L has feelings for you." I blushed. "I must protect you to make him happy. It is my moral duty."

I smiled sincerely. "That's quite honorable of you Near. I'm sure L won't mind having you around since I won't."

"I must warn you though," he began, picking up his dominoes and putting them back in his pocket. "Mello will not take kindly to me. You see, he and I have never gotten along."

"Don't worry," I assured him as we stood up. "You'll have your own floor. I think that's enough space."

* * *

"Why is that albino headed freak here?" Mello snarled as Near stood in the main room. Matt rolled his eyes at his friend. Cinder, Beyond, Hollow, L, and I stood beside Near. The rest of the Task Force were awaiting privately outside the room.

"Mells, calm down," Matt said. "He's here on business, not to annoy you. Besides, even if he has, he's already winning." Mello clenched his fist, but said nothing.

"Misa Amane has her own floor, the tenth," L informed Near, glancing towards the cameras. "We are keeping watch on her in suspicion of being the second Kira. Winter, Cinder, Beyond, Hollow, and I all have rooms on second and third floors. On the seventh is Matt and Mello's. Which floor would you like?"

"I shall take the fourth floor," Near responded quickly. "I do not need much space though. The only thing I ask is not to be bothered at nights."

"The Task Force believes that Matt and Mello are friends of ours," Beyond said, sticking his fingers in a jar of jam.

"Tell them I'm a private detective," Near said, and began laying out his toys on his own table. "I am here on official police business." Most of the time Near will be on his floor, working on his personal business.

I helped bring his toys up to his room. He literally had three whole suitcases full of them. Placing them on a couch, I watched him put together train tracks on the living room floor.

Shrugging to myself, I sat on the floor and helped him in silence. We were almost done when he spoke up. "Did you enjoy Wammy's when you lived there?"

I smiled. "Yes, it was quite entertaining. Don't you enjoy it?"

"Sometimes. I don't have any companions there, except the quiet girl Linda, though we do not play much. Most of the children are loud and rambunctious, quite irritating sometimes."

I was silent for a moment, then asked him a question. "Do you like being a detective? I mean, do you enjoy learning to be L's successor?"

"Why do you ask?" he wondered, sliding together two separate tracks.

"When A was the top successor, he kind of hated it. It just gave him so much pressure and made him tired all the time. He thought he could be someone that he couldn't, someone that killed him."

"I actually do find being L's successor rather interesting. I help people claim justice for the broken. Also, I'm quite skilled at it." He looked up at me and smiled. Just like L.

That's when I knew he was destined to be L's successor. No, he wouldn't fail and end up like A. He would become someone great. I returned the smile and continued helping him set up his toys.


	31. Mysterious Happenings

"L's theory is that once I steal L's title, I will become Kira again." Light stared into the back of L's head as if reading his mind.

"Correct," L said with a hint of satisfaction.

"Taking on the identity of L," Light continued, "having the power to control the police in every country while being Kira in secret. It's ideal. And you're thinking I could do it. No, that I would do it. That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

"Yes," L replied simply.

"But what about now? I told you, I don't want your title. That should prove, even to you, that I'm not putting on an act, shouldn't it?" Well, I guess because Near is gonna end up with L's title in the end anyway.

"If this is all an act, and you are trying to steal my identity, there's no chance you'd be foolish enough to reveal your plan in front of everyone. Wouldn't you agree?"

Beyond, sitting on the couch, clapped his hands. "Bravo. You both are reading each other's minds." Beside him, Cinder rolled her eyes. Hollow stared nervously at Light.

"Ryuzaki…" Light laid his hand on L's shoulder and spun the chair around to face him. "Do you think, that I'm actually capable of becoming a murderer? Kira. Even after I help you catch him. Do I seem like that kind of person to you?"

"Yes you do. I've always thought so." Ah crap. I knew that stare. The battle stare. I stood up and made my way to them, but it was too late. They both made their move at the same time; L with his foot smashed against Light's face and Light with his fist smashed against L's nose.

"Ah, not again!" Mr. Yagami growled.

Matsuda went to break it up but I ended up running into him as I did the same. We tumbled, landing on each other. Beyond and Cinder leaned against the back of the couch, watching us in suspense. Hollow rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Break it up!" I said, pushing them apart.

"Once is enough!" Matsuda agreed, brushing himself off. L and Light stared angrily at each other. "It was a draw so let's just leave it at an even match, okay?"

Light wiped his face and turned away. "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, let's focus on catching the Kira that's in front of us right now. As long as I have the handcuffs on you shouldn't have any complaints."

"I suppose. We only have a month so there's no time to get distracted."

I sat down on the couch next to Hollow. "Hey buddy," I said, leaning against his side. "You seem bored."

"Not particularly," he replied slowly. "Just irritated."

"Why?"

"I don't know for sure. I just feel like I'm constantly being watched. Like we're constantly being watched. It's creepy and I want it to stop." Just as he said that, a chill ran up my spine.

"I know what you mean," I muttered, closing my eyes. I almost fell asleep, but I opened my eyes when Hollow nudged me awake.

"Come on," he whispered. We got up and, with Beyond and Cinder, followed L and Light upstairs. "They're working alone now," Hollow said, getting me caught up. I nodded as we went into Misa's room.

When she caught sight of Light, she glowed. "Light! I didn't know we were suppose to have a date!" She frowned when she saw the rest of us. "Oh right, I should've known."

"Misa Amane." L sped walked up to the girl and leaned in very close to her face. "Tell me, do you love Light from the bottom of your heart?" Okay, not weird at all.

"Huh? Uh, yeah! Of course I do!"

"You also worship Kira, don't you?"

"Well, yeah…"

"So then, if you had to choose between the two, who would you choose?"

"What?" She ran to Light defensively and hung on. "That's obvious. Of course it's gonna be Light! I'm really grateful to Kira and want to meet him someday in person, but that's not true love. I definitely choose Light."

"But your precise Light is planning to catch Kira. Isn't that right?" L stared at them from behind his shoulder, hunched over on the couch.

"Well, yes of course I am." I could tell that Light didn't want to be in the middle of whatever was going on.

"He says he wants to catch Kira. Now what will you do?"

Misa glared suspiciously at him. "Well, if that's what Light says, then I'm gonna support him no matter what."

"I see…" L stared at them with curiosity filled in his eyes. "So if you were given the opportunity to work with Light on this investigation, would you take the offer?"

Light and I gasped. "What? Ryuzaki!"

Misa glowed. "Yeah! Of course I would! I'd do anything I could to help Light!"

"Wait," Light protested. "Hold on a second, where are you going with this?" I walked over to stand beside Light.

"I'm planning to have Aiber pose as Eraldo Coil again. He'll tell the Yotsuba members that while he was investigating L, he discovered that Misa Amane might know who he is. He'll also tell them that L brought her in on suspicion that she was the second Kira."

"That part is true," Misa added.

"If the Yotsuba group believes that Misa could be their lead to finding L, then they'll say that they want to meet her and discuss their advertising campaign. They'll use that opportunity to question her. Thanks to Matsuda's screw up, they may already be considering Misa as their new spokesperson so this could work."

Misa was all in with L on this one, but Light and I disagreed. Our other friends stayed out of it. "Ryu, it's dangerous," I protested.

"Ah, but that's not fair," he commented. "You're working with me even though it's dangerous. What makes you better than Misa?" I narrowed my eyes. I knew what he was trying to do.

"Yeah, do you think you're smarter than me?" Misa spat. I cringed, but shook my head.

"No, what I'm saying is that you could be risking your life here. I don't want you to because the world loves you! What if you got hurt or something?'

Light agreed. "This plan is too risky. Who knows what could happen to you. We don't know how far they'll be willing to go to get information."

In the end, we had to let Misa join. I don't know how, but she was in.

* * *

"Alright, let's try again from the top."

Aiber leaned forward. "Tell me Misa. Is it true that you once said you came to Tokyo in order to meet Kira?"

Misa bounced back dramatically. "What?!" L bonked her on the head with her plastic megaphone. I covered my hand over my eyes and sighed.

"Please stop overacting, it looks too cheesy, not to mention fake." I agree.

Misa peered over to back of the couch and pouted at L. "Huh? But I thought that was a realistic performance."

"Just do it again," he mumbled.

"Whatever you say 'Oh So Great Director'," she said, wiggling her hands in the air.

"If you don't get serious about this I'll kick you." Misa harrumphed.

"Just pretend like you're in a meeting with the mafia boss and if you don't take it seriously he'll kill you," I added. Misa widened her eyes and turned back around, back as straight as a board. L rolled his eyes.

My phone buzzed in my pocket so I took it out. Near. Instead of answering it, I did what he told me to do when he called and ignored it. Kissing L on the cheek, I left the room and went to Near.

I gasped in awe when I opened the door to his room. Dominoes reigned the room in a long string around the floor. Near sat in the middle of it, one leg held up to his chest.

"Whoa," I breathed in awe. "You did this?" He nodded and continued his aligning process. "Whatcha need?"

"I was wondering if you know where Matt and Mello are."

I frowned. "What do you mean, they're suppose to be in there room."

"I personally checked their floor myself and did not find a trace of them left. It seems they have… disappeared." Clenching my fists, I stormed out.

After searching their entire floor and coming up empty handed, I raced downstairs. Matsuda and Mr. Yagami were the only ones down there. I went to the monitors and took control.

"Hey Winter," Matsuda greeted from his chair. "Mogi and Misa just left to go to Yotsuba's for the interview. Do you-"

"Not the time Matsuda," I snapped. I searched through all the cameras on each floor. Cinder and Beyond were eating jam on the couch. Hollow was taking a shower. Light and L were talking with Wedy in Misa's room. Near didn't have security cameras in his room, but I knew what he was doing. Matt and Mello completely vanished from the building. I sweared under my breath and returned upstairs to Near's room. "I can't find them."

Keeping his head down, Near hummed. "That's odd. Is it because I arrived? Did I drive them out?"

Shaking my head, I sat down next to him. "No Near, it wasn't you. Trust me, they would've told L if they planned on leaving."

Lifting his head, Near locked eyes with mine. "Kidnapping maybe? Though the chances of that are highly doubtful."

"Why?" I wondered.

"We have our cameras in every room. I've went through last night's feed. They went to bed last night, but disappeared from their room by morning."

"Maybe someone cut out a length of time in the video. There are no clocks or anything like that so we can tell for sure, but it could be A. I mean, he did hack into my account to send a bomb to you guys so who knows what he can do."

Near twirled his hair in thought, rearranging his domino line. I continued with my thought. "If that is the case, how did he get the two out of the building without being noticed by one of us?"

The white haired boy finally spoke up. "Last night I was hiding away in my room. L and Light were in their room at the time, one sleeping and the other on his laptop. Misa Amane was definitely sleeping. Matsuda and Soichiro Yagami were as well. You and your friends were getting in bed. Everyone was locked away in their rooms. No one would've seen them leave because no one was out."

I shivered in the suspense of the moment. "If this is true, that means one of us could be next."

While Misa, Mogi, and Aiber were at Yotsuba, L made a decision. "Due to the recent disappearance of two of our comrades, there must be at least two people on watch every night. We can't afford for anything more to happen. We're too close to solving this."

Everyone nodded in understanding. "I'll inform the others when they get back," said Mr. Yagami.

"Tonight I want Beyond and Matsuda on first watch," L announced. Beyond smirked evilly at the nervous Matsuda. "Tomorrow, Light and Hollow. Then, Cinder and Winter. That is all for now. Please be careful. We don't know who we're actually dealing with."

Near returned to his room. Mr. Yagami sat on the couch while Matsuda did nothing moderately helpful. L and Light sat in the chairs by the monitors. Beyond went upstairs to sleep and prepare for his nightwatch.

I waited with Hollow and Cinder while drinking some coffee. What was gonna happen to us? Why couldn't A just leave us alone?

Mr. Yagami explained the night schedule to Mogi and Misa when they came back. They were fine with it. After awhile of talking and going over some stuff with the case, everyone went to go to bed. Cinder woke Beyond up and told him to keep watch. Matsuda and him stayed downstairs for the rest of the night.

Even though they were keeping watch, it was difficult for me to go to sleep that night. I felt shaky and nervous, like A was gonna burst through the door at any minute.

When I finally went to sleep, I had nightmares. Strong, frightening ones, too. I awoke at 3 a.m. in a sweat and couldn't fall back to sleep so I just laid there the rest of the night, staring blankly at the ceiling.


	32. Sakura Surprise

The first thing Misa did when she returned the next day was hold out her phone for us to hear the conversation she had with Higuchi. He admitted that he was Kira, and even said he'd stop killing criminals for the time being.

To be honest, I was surprised that she actually convinced him to say that, and a bit proud too. She proved that she was valuable to the team.

Light was irritated that she put herself out there like that. He didn't want her to get hurt. Maybe he was starting to develop feelings for her… Or it was just an act.

L still couldn't arrest Higuchi. He wanted to find out how he kills his victims. We both knew Higuchi used the Death Note, but we still needed actual evidence.

* * *

"Hirai, cut out the footage of Suko's dancing routine. Let's admit, it was horrible. None of Tokyo wants to see it." The brown haired worker nodded and began typing on one of the monitors. I nodded to the red haired guy next to him. "Kudo, I need to send last week's footage to Hitoshi Demegawa. I think he'll like what he sees."

"Of course Sakata," he replied, then did what I told him to.

Flattening my grey business skirt, I smiled proudly. So this is what it feels like to be the Director of Sakura TV. I never would have guessed. One day of training to be Director for a day paid off.

I convinced L to let me be working at Sakura TV when Matsuda goes on and says he has info about Kira's identity. It took one day of training and BAM I'm the Director. Even though I work under Demegawa, I feel like I own the place. I already know everyone's names.

For the disguise, I'm now wearing a black skirt, white shirt, and a black blazer. My once long blonde hair is now a couple inches below my shoulders. I feel like a new woman.

My assistant, Morine Otsu, scurried to my side. She was wearing a red shirt and a white skirt. "Sakata," my alias, "Studio 1 needs you." I nodded, then followed the black haired girl to the next room.

The Studio manager, Shoji Iwane, was pacing around the room. "Mano Kinji won't go on," he told me when I asked him what was wrong. "We need that kid to get on there. The viewers have been looking forward to him all week! We'll lose all our ratings if he doesn't show!"

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Behind stage. By the camera." I nodded and walked out of the room with Morine by my side.

When I arrived backstage, I found the popstar pacing around furiously. "Kinji!" I said with opening arms. Then, resting them on my hips, I frowned. "Why aren't you going on? We have a minute til we're live!"

The 22 year old huffed in anger. "My girlfriend just texted me saying that we're through. Can you believe that?!" I studied the singer/actor, then smiled.

"Kinji, can I introduce you to someone?" I brought out Morine. Twenty two year old Morine. Hint hint. Wink wink. "This is Morine Otsu. She's my assistant."

They locked eyes and Morine blushed when Kinji smiled. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Otsu."

"It's just Ms." Morine said. "I'm single." Kinji smiled and kissed her lightly on the hand.

"I'll give you her number if you go on stage," I whispered in his ear. Instantly he thanked me and hurried on stage just in time. I wiped the nervous sweat off my face. Morine nudged me and blushed.

"You're good at this," she complimented.

I shrugged. "I only just started an hour ago. It's not even lunch yet." The rest of the day went by rushed. Morine and I hurried about Sakura TV on multiple missions.

First, the vending machines broke (so cruel!) so I had Morine call a repairman. Second, Studio 3 needed my help with what footage to cut on yesterday's interview. A couple more footage cuts and it was lunch. After lunch I made sure our interviewer had his note cards ready for his next three interviews, one including Matsuda's.

Finally, Matsuda arrived in Studio 4. I greeted him normally. "Hello Taro Matsue, I'm Sakata Ritsuko, the Director of Sakura TV. We're glad to have you with us today."

Matsuda blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, hi, Sakata. I'm just here to reveal the truth!"

"If there's anything you need, let me know."

"Um, yeah, I was actually wondering if there are any vending machines nearby…?"

I laughed lightly and led him down the hall. "Of course. We just had them replaced." I peered to Morine over my shoulder. "Morine, can you make sure Studio 4 is wrapping up their current interview. Taro should be going on soon." She nodded and scurried off.

When I was alone in the hallway with Matsuda, I laid my hands on his shoulder. "You can do this Matsu," I reassured him. "Just be brave."

"Uh, yeah, sure. I-I'll try." Rolling my eyes, I showed him to the vending machine, then after that, we went backstage.

"That's where you'll be sitting," I showed him. "The interviewer will be opposite of you and he'll be asking you all the questions." Leaning in I whispered in his ear. "Don't be too panicked when you're face is exposed, but act a bit nervous."

He nodded, then all that was left to do was wait. Kai, the interviewer, was wrapping up his last interview, then it went to break. Matsuda went on stage and sat in the chair.

I had Morine bring me the special headset I had locked in my drawer. It was the one I'd use to communicate with L. Morine stood beside me with a clipboard held tightly in her arm.

The camera man got ready. "We'll be going live," he announced, "in 3… 2.." He motioned 1 then pointed to the stage. Opening music played and Kai began talking.

While they started talking, I went to the sound booth to make sure Matsuda's voice was being filtered into a higher one. Then, I returned to my spot.

"Winter, are you in position?" L.

"Yes sir," I replied firmly. "Voice is changed and screen is set up. Is Higuchi watching?"

"He should be very soon. Light has called Namikawa again. He has made sure that Higuchi will be watching."

"Does Namikawa know Higuchi is Kira though?" Thank goodness I sent Morine to watch from the monitor room or the plan would've messed up.

"Yes, but only because Light messed up." I smirked, rolling my eyes.

"Thank you for letting me do this Ryu. I know it was risky, but I'm actually enjoying myself."

"You're welcome. Just stay safe and make sure everything goes as planned."

I looked towards the stage. "So you're saying one of those people is Kira, right?" Kai was sitting on his chair asking Matsuda questions.

"Yes, I've got a lot of evidence to prove it, too." So far Matsuda was doing good.

L's voice came back. "Higuchi should be watching right now."

"Okay."

"Then," Matsuda went on, "one of them was killed by Kira. And now, there are only seven left. The man who died was Mr. H." Hatori. "Mr. H wanted to leave the meeting and was killed by Kira because of that."

I gave the signal to Morine who cut off the voice filter, then made it so the screen suddenly fell over.

When it did, Matsuda grabbed his head. His face was shown on the camera for a solid six seconds until people ran to cover him up. They got the screen up to conceal his body.

"Cut to commercial!" I ordered, then we were off. There was a 30 second commercial before we were back on and Kai apologized for the mishap.

"That was perfect Winter" L complimented from the other side. "Just as planned. Now, we wait for Higuchi to react. His voice then lowered so I knew he didn't want the others to hear. "If we are correct, the security cameras will reveal him using the notebook to attempt to kill Matsuda. This would break the case."

"Then all we'd have to do," I replied quietly, "is obtain the notebook. Ah, this is going just as planned."

I left backstage and went behind the scenes in the monitor room. Demegawa was there; as well as Mr. Yagami. I told Morine to wait backstage and make sure everything runs well.

"Soichiro Yagami." I greeted the old man with a handshake. "Is everything going as planned? You bet. Matsuda's in safe hands."

I looked over at Demegawa who seemed to be eating this up. "Just be sure to hold off on the Kira announcement til the last minute, alright?" He looked over at me. "Sakata. You're doing good on your first day. Keep it up."

I stayed behind scenes and stood by Mr. Yagami for most of it, reporting info to him from L. I gave the signal for commercial so it cut to Misa's advertisement.

"We have at least two hours until the program ends," I reminded everyone. "Let's make it count."

"Higuchi's on the move and Weddy is on his tail," L informed me. Good. It's only a matter of time until Higuchi is caught, then we can put this entire thing behind us.

The next time L spoke to me, I couldn't believe his words. "It seems that Higuchi is talking to someone in his car, yet there is no one there… Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Yes. "A Shinigami" we both said at the same time. Dang it! Storming backstage, I ordered Morine to go on a coffee break. Pacing, I clenched my fist. Come on already, let's catch this guy.

"By the way, I think the Shinigami's name is Rem," L reported. Rem the Shinigami. Who's side are you on?

"Winter, he's arrived at Yoshida Productions. The show is about to begin." I stopped pacing and crossed my arms.

"Tell me everything he does."

"He's taken out the fake file for Matsuda." I gulped, holding my breath. This will finally tell us if Kira actually uses the notebook. "He is currently taking something out of his bag and…"

Silence. L trailed off in silence. He didn't speak. He didn't breath. "Ryu? Hey, Ryu? What happened?"

It was the longest ten seconds of my life. Finally, L's grim voice whispered from the other side. "He tried using the Death Note." Holy crap…

"Have you arrested him?" I instantly asked.

"...No, not yet."

"Why not?"

"Winter, I can't risk it just yet. Besides, we need a little more proof. Just one more thing will-"

"Ryuzaki, please arrest him!" I begged quietly. "Who cares about proof?"

"I do, and so does the police force."

I was tempted to throw the headset on the floor, but I didn't. Instead, I waited. 15 minutes to go until the Kira announcement.

"Winter," came L's voice. "He just asked Rem to 'make the deal'. What do you suppose that means?"

The deal. Shinigami.

Taking out my phone, I dialed Beyond's number. "Sup Winter. Or should I say, Sakata? What do you-"

"What do you know about making a deal with a Shinigami?" I interrupted.

"The Shinigami eye deal?" His voice wavered. "I-I read a little about it in the book from A. Why?" Eye deal? Eyes…

"Beyond, you never told me why your eyes are red."

He paused and sighed. "I'm sorry I never told you this but… My eyes let me see a person's name and lifespan. After reading A's book, I quickly pieced together the puzzle."

"What puzzle?"

"A person can make a deal with the Shinigami. It gives that person the eyes. The eyes like mine."

If Kira had those eyes, he'd only need a face to kill. Just like the second Kira! With that power, Higuchi could kill anyone who gets in his way! "Thanks Beyond. Anything else I need to know?"

"I think I've told you everything." Hanging up, I returned to L.

"L, did he make the deal?"

"Yes, I think he did."

"That's not good. Did his eyes go red?"

L paused, but came back. "Yes, they did. Why?"

I bit my lip. "Higuchi has made the Shinigami eye deal. He can see a person's real name. With that power, and the Death Note, he can kill anyone who stands in his way."

"I'll make sure to notify the police," L said. "No one without a helmet can get near him. " I kept pacing around the studio, watching Matsuda's broadcast until I heard L curse.

"What happened?"

"An officer that approached him just crashed. That proves it. Higuchi has the eyes, and he is Kira."

Dang it! I hate waiting like this and not knowing what's going on. I'm just glad L can keep me informed.

Suddenly, Light's voice filled my ears. "Winter. During the next commercial, take measure 7."

"U-Understood Light. Good luck."

"You too."

I ran back up to the monitor studio where Mr. Yagami and Demegawa were hiding. "During the next commercial break, swap Matsuda and Kai with manikins. We'll make it seem as if the broadcast is continuing as normal using the voices we've already prepared. We'll leave the cameras running and have everyone evacuate the building!"

Demegawa frowned, but nodded. I filled Mr. Yagami in on what L and Light told me. "Higuchi going to the Yotsuba main office. It could occur that he does come here afterwards so we need to be prepared."

After everyone was evacuated, Mr. Yagami and I waited until Weddy showed up. "We're setting up an ambush," she announced, tossing us helmets. "When Higuchi doesn't find the surveillance tapes he wants at the Yotsuba main office, he'll be heading here."

"Great," I muttered. "This we can end this game."

We hid behind the stage and got our weapons ready. When Mr. Yagami refused to take the gun, Weddy handed it to me. "Here, you'll need it."

"Thanks," I said, filling it with bullets. "You think we'll catch him?"

Weddy sighed and briefly stopped moving her gun. "Yes, eventually we will. As L says, 'Justice will prevail" so the odds are in our favor. We just gotta work for it."

We shared a determined smile, then got in position. "Mogi and Aiber are here," Mr. Yagami whispered to us.

We watched in the shadows as Higuchi discovered the dummies. His eyes went wide and he stared dumbstruck.

"Higuchi, hold it right there!" Mr. Yagami commanded. The five of us, helmets on and secured, surrounded him.

"Don't move," Weddy ordered. "I'd give up if I were you."

He tried to play the innocent card on us. "You-You must be making some kind of mistake. I'm only here to meet with Mr. Demegawa and discuss something with him." The smile on his face was fake and disgusting. "I'm with the Yotsuba group, from the development department. Let me show you my business card…" He reached in his handbag.

"Don't you dare Higuchi!" I shouted, but it was too late. He aimed the gun at Weddy, but I jumped in the way, letting it hit my stomach. I flew back into her arms from the strong force.

Higuchi ran out of the building with the gun still in his hand. "Winter!" shouted Aiber. I clutched my stomach and growled.

"Get him!" I yelled. Reaching under my shirt, I pulled out the bullet proof vest. "I'm okay!" Realizing what happened, they sighed with relief. Then, we ran after him.

The chase was on.


	33. The Capture

Mogi reported everything to L as we ran after him. Weddy almost shot him, but he escaped. Once we got outside, I yelled to Weddy, "Can I use your bike?"

"Go right ahead!" She climbed into the car with Mr. Yagami. Aiber and Mogi got in their own. Luckily I made precautions and changed from a black skirt to black dress pants.

Starting the motorcycle, I zoomed off before the others. Higuchi broke through the main gate and made it to the highway.

"L, where are you?" I asked in my receiver which I still had on.

"Look up" was all he said. Even before I did, I heard the sound of propellers and the motor. They were in a helicopter. "I'm with Light and your grandfather." Watari is there too? Cool.

Higuchi sped through traffic at an illegal pace. He passed people left and right, trying to avoid us. But we kept up. I just needed to be there first. I needed to touch the Death Note for myself.

As we came up on the bridge, I grinned at the wall of police cars on the other side.

Higuchi didn't slow down at first. Then, suddenly, he slammed on his brakes. Behind him, we did the same. Above him, the helicopter displayed its bright light on him.

I bet his whole world was crashing down on him. At least I hoped so. He tried to make a run for it, but someone, Watari I think,shot his tires causing him to slam into the side of the bridge. It was over.

Instantly police cars swarmed in like a SWAT team, surrounding his vehicle.

In another attempt, he put the gun to his head. "Stay back! Stay back or I'll shoot I swear!" Before he could, Watari skillfully shot the gun from his hand.

Mr. Yagami wanted to go and make the arrest, but L had other plans. "I want Winter to do it." No one objected so I got off Weddy's motorcycle and approached him slowly with the gun raised.

One cop car I passed rolled down its window. Aizawa was at the driver's seat. He nodded to me, and I nodded back. I stood about a yard from Higuchi's car.

"Higuchi, put your hands up and slowly get out of the car," I ordered. In my surprise, he did so without resisting. In one move I grabbed him, handcuffed him, blindfolded him, then put a headset on him.

L asked him how he killed. At first, Higuchi said nothing. Then, he lowered his head. "The notebook. You probably won't believe me but I've got a special notebook and if I right someone's name in it while thinking of their face, that person dies." Oh, we believe you.

I left him in the hands of Aizawa and Mr. Yagami, then slowly approached the car. From my headset L took a steady breath. "Are you ready for the truth to be revealed?"

I smirked, climbing into the front seat. "Always ready."

I spotted Higuchi's bag from the front seat and reached my hand in. The first thing I felt was leather. Soft leather. It was a notebook. Rubbing my hands across the case, I took it out.

Death Note. A was right. It was all starting to come together. This was how Higuchi, no Kira kills. Opening it, I recognized the names. They were all of the businessmen who died mysteriously.

"Winter, what did you find?" Light, Mr. Yagami, and Aizawa asked in unison.

I looked up and through the windshield to make eye contact with a monster. I didn't freak out. I saw this coming. This was the Shinigami Higuchi was talking to. The same one he made the eyes deal with.

"Winter?"

Slowly, I got out of the car and approached it. Under my breath, but loud enough for only it to hear, I whispered, "Are you Rem?"

"Yes" was all it said.

Again, I whispered quietly. "Who is the real Kira?"

"I cannot tell you that. Although I can tell you one thing." I looked up and stared straight into Rem's eyes. "It is not Higuchi."

Dang it! It has to be Light then, there's not doubt about it. Misa Amane must be the second Kira. I didn't ask it any more questions. Instead, I walked back to Higuchi's car.

I stared at the notebook, blocking out the voices of everyone else. I had the power. I could kill anyone I wanted. I could kill Light and end all of this. Or Misa.

No. I couldn't. But how do we actually know if this is real? Only one true way to find out. NO! Winter, stop it. This power… I can't handle it right now.

"L," I finally said. Everyone stopped talking. "Take it from me. Now, before I use it." Instantly L flung from the helicopter and ran to me, whisking the notebook away from my grasp. "Thank you."

The looked over and saw Rem. Only he saw Rem at the moment, besides me. Only because we touched the notebook. "So that's how he does it.." L mumbled to himself.

"I wanted to use it," I whispered. He looked at me and frowned. "But I didn't." Laying a hand on my shoulder, he nodded reassuringly. "We can't let Light or Misa touch it," I told him.

"I know," he said gravely.

It was tough keeping Light away from it, but we managed to let the entire Task Force (Mr. Yagami, Mogi, and Aizawa) to touch it and see Rem. Light did not. Even Weddy and Aiber got too as well.

We were about to take Higuchi in when he passed out and died. No, not from Kira, but from the stress that's been weighed on him for awhile now. Our only suspect was dead.

* * *

Back at HQ, the first thing I did was have Matsuda touch the notebook and see Rem. I didn't want him feeling left out. Next, Aizawa read off the rules.

Instead of listening, I left that part to L and went upstairs. I thought about taking a shower, but I wanted to pop into Cinder's room and tell her what happened.

Knocking on her door, I waited, but received no answer. Barging in, I looked around. No one was there. I searched the bedrooms and bathrooms, but still no one.

Hmm, that's odd. I checked the entire floor, but I still couldn't find them. Next I went to Near's room. To my relief, he was making a house of cards on the floor.

"Near, where's-"

"Cinder, Beyond, and Hollow have all disappeared," he replied emotionless. "It wasn't until after I got word from L that Higuchi was on the move did I realize this. I am sorry I couldn't save them."

Running to him, I was careful not to knock his card tower down. I gave him a long hug. "Near, it wasn't your fault. It's not like you were suppose to know this anyway."

"The footage was tampered with again," he informed me. "He's kidnapped five people already, yet we still haven't found him."

Clenching my fists, I pecked Near on the forehead gently before storming out of the room. I still had on my black dress pants and black blazer on, but I didn't bother to change right now.

Passing through the main room briefly, L and I made eye contact, but I kept moving. Outside, I screamed out my stress. "Just take me already!" I yelled. "You bastard, just take me!"

Ouch! I felt a poke in my neck again, but this time it wasn't a dart. It was a needle. Instantly I became weak, too weak to look around. Instead, I fell to the ground and blacked out.

* * *

It felt like something was covering my head. I think something was the more I blinked and breathed. A cloth bag, maybe. I don't know. All I know is that something was over my head so I couldn't see.

The voices were blurred at first, but only because I just woke up. Once I popped my ears, everything become more clear.

"This is the girl to your freedom. Just like I promised." That voice. Oh so familiar…

"Higuchi is dead," said someone I didn't know. "He was Kira. Now that he's gone, we don't need L dead. We just want to get our lives back to normal."

"Don't you want L to drop all charges on you?" asked the familiar voice. "Of course after this charade, L and the NPA will know that Yotsuba was killing. They won't hesitate to throw you in prison. Or better yet, throw you on the electric chair."

Someone gulped nervously. "Maybe he's right. We could use this girl for our freedom. We could say that in exchange for her freedom, we get ours."

"We can't actually threaten L," another person commented. "Afterall, now that Higuchi has been caught, surely L has his means of killing, whatever it was."

"Tell him we do too." I could feel the familiar voice smirking.

"But we don't!" contradicted another. "We don't know how he killed people!"

"I do." The room grew silent as the familiar voice spoke. "He used the Death Note." The room erupted with confusion, but the familiar voice calmed them down and explained what the notebook was and what it could do.

"How interesting…" This was a new voice, but also familiar. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" If I could feel my fingers I'd be snapping them. The new, yet familiar voice, is Shingo Mido. The one I spoke to briefly at the party.

"All in time.." The familiar voice laughed bitterly. "So, what do you say? We threaten L saying that we'll use the Death Note to kill her unless he drops the charges on you all. Hmm? Sound like a plan? Any objection?"

"No objection," sang the room in unison. No objection… Shingo Mido… Was I at Yotsuba? Oh my gosh.

"Who is this girl anyway?" asked one man.

The familiar voice laughed. "A few of you may recognize her from brief glance. Personally I know her as an old friend. She, men, will be the key to your freedom."

The cloth ruffled and was pulled off me. I cringed, then squinted as the lights blasted into my vision. I heard a couple gasps, but none more loud than Shingo's.

"She's one of the girls from the party," concluded Namikawa. "When Misa Amane's manager died, correct?"

I turned my head to see my captur. The guy I've spent nights fearing. The ghost that's come back to haunt me. "A" I whispered. His mouth formed a crooked smile.

"Yes, my friend, it is I. Good to see you again." He turned to the Yotsuba members. "I will contact L immediately and request the deal." My head snapped to the corners of the room. A followed my gaze and laughed. "I disabled them," he whispered.

"What shall we do with her for now?" asked Ooi.

A looked around the room. "I guess she can just stay in here for

now." A straightened his blood red tie.

"What did you do with them?" I asked him bitterly. "Where are my friends?"

Smirking, A fixed his hair. "Oh, them? They're somewhere around here." I grunted and tried to move, but realized he tied me up in the chair. "Shingo Mido, please keep a watchful eye on her while the rest of us work out the details of this little matter."

"Of course," Shingo replied solemnly. Everyone else got up and exited the room.

A gave a charming smile at me before he left, saying, "Farewell Winter. I'm sure we'll see each other again." Then, he shut the door and left me alone with Shingo.

He stared portentously into my soul while I burned a hole in his forehead. "Shingo," I spat bitterly.

"Winter, is it?" he challenged. Then, his face fell. "I wish we never hired that man in the first place."

Was he talking about A? Probably. "Why did you?"

"Higuchi thought it would be a good idea. Of course when he suggested it, everyone else loved it."

"He's dead now. Why keep this up? I thought all of you were tired of it."

Higuchi looked away. "This man, A, has proved himself to be a powerful and disturbing man. Now, all of us are too afraid to go against him. It's like he's replaced Kira."

I frowned. "Please, Shingo, just let me go. L will understand. Blackmail! You'll all get off free! He only wants A right now."

"I'm not sure I can do that.."

"Please," I begged. "I want to catch A and Kira and end all of this! Just let me go."

He was about to say something when his phone buzzed. Picking it up, he sighed. "I understand. I'm on my way." My eyes pleaded to him as he stood up and walked to the door.

With one last glance, he left…

But not before sliding a small pocket knife across the large table directly into my lap.


	34. He's Back

I somehow managed to slip the knife in my hands and cut the rope that bound me. Letting it fall to the ground, I snuck across the room and into the hallway. Peering my head around the corner, I made sure it was all clear before I left.

It took about ten minutes to get out of Yotsuba's main office. I had to be stealthy; sneak slowly around every corner while watching behind my back at the same time.

Once I was outside, I took off down the road. As I did, it started to rain. A pounding rain. How long have I been out? Days, maybe. I'm not for sure.

Although I likely left my other friends behind in the building somewhere, I couldn't go back and risk being caught. I needed to warn someone.

Racing inside, I went through security and burst through the doors. To my entire relief, L was there. He quickly stood, and I ran into his arms. "L!"

"Winter." Grabbing my arms, he pulled me forward to meet his lips. After the sweet kiss, he hugged me. "What happened? It's been two days since you've disappeared. I thought you were dead."

I looked around. Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, and even Near were here. I saw Light too, but he'd changed. His aura was negative and his eyes were dark. And he wasn't wearing L's handcuffs.

"What'd I miss?"

"Winter!" Matsuda sighed in relief. "Where were you?"

I told them about how I was kidnapped and taken to Yotsuba. I also told them about A and how he was going to threaten to kill me by using a Death Note. Then, I told how Shingo helped me escape.

"A must pay," L muttered. "Send a SWAT team down to Yotsuba. Obtain all the men, including Shingo. They need to be questioned. If you can, find our friends."

Mr. Yagami and the Task Force nodded. They grabbed their guns and went to fulfill the mission. All who were left were L, Light, Near, and I.

"What did I miss?" I asked when everything was calm.

"L has let Misa and I go," Light answered. "I'm staying here to help with the investigation though. I won't let my team down."

I looked at L. _But the Death Note? Did you let him touch it?_ L gave a small nod. _I had to._ Looking away, I turned to Near and gave him a hug. "Are you helping out with the case, too?"

"Yes, it seemed best." The white haired boy twirled his hair. "I just hope our friends are in Yotsuba."

I stared at Light. "How are you holding up?"

He shrugged. "We're coming along. All I want is to find the real Kira, though. We're so close." His eyes had changed so much. What happened when you touched that notebook Light Yagami?

L's phone when off. He turned it on speaker. "Ryuzaki," came Mr. Yagami's voice, "we found them. All five of them. They were passed out in a locked room. Weddy and Aiber are bringing them back as we speak."

I breathed a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness…"

"Thank you Mr. Yagami," L replied. "Have you found the Yotsuba men?"

"Only seven. The other man you spoke of, A, is not here."

"I see… Keep searching."

Weddy and Aiber burst through the doors, supporting the weight of our drowsy friends. Light and I helped carry them to the couch. Each of them slowly waking up.

Cinder's eyes fluttered open, and when she saw me, she smirked. "Jeez Winter. Took you long enough to find us." Giving her a hug, I silently apologized.

Light helped Hollow sit up, and for a moment or two his eyes flashed with the old Light; friendly, kind, strong. Then, that good feeling left.

Weddy sighed, slipping down her sunglasses. "We found them in a closet, drowsy and unresponsive. Most of them started waking up on the way here."

"Thank you," I said to Weddy and Aiber.

Mello squirmed, then shot up. "Who took my chocolate?" he asked drowsily. Blinking, he frowned when he saw Matt. Shaking his friend, he said, "Come on Matty, get up." The gamer stirred, then blinked.

Sitting up, he smiled at me. "Sup Winter." He turned to Mello and smirked. "Aw, did you miss me?" Mello growled and shoved the boy off the couch, but flashed a content smile.

We turned as Beyond stirred awake. Cinder breathed a short sigh of relief as he opened his eyes. They locked with mine and I smiled at my friend.

You know, it was suppose to be a happy time. Reuniting with my friends. But something happened that scared me.

Beyond's eyes grew hungry and angry. From his pocket he pulled out a pocket knife and flipped it open to reveal the sharp blade. Then, he lunged at me.

I shrieked, falling backwards and onto the floor. He jumped off the couch and landed on me. Raising the knife in the air, he planned to stab me in the heart, and would have, but everyone restrained him and pulled him off of me.

Weddy grabbed my arms and pulled me away. As I stood up, Beyond struggled to break Aiber and Hollow's hold. "I've gotta kill her!" he kept shouting.

Weddy grabbed my arms protectively and L stepped between Beyond and I. He waited until the killer calmed down, then spoke. "Beyond, what has gotten into you? Why would you want to kill one of your friends?"

"She's not my friend," he spat. "She's my enemy."

Cinder and I shared a worried glance. Beside L, Near hummed. "Do you have any more enemies?" he wondered.

Beyond grunted. "Yeah, Winter and Light Yagami." Light did a double take as everyone looked at him. Quickly he moved and stood by me. "They must die."

"Who told you this?" asked Near. "Who told you Winter and Light must die?"

"I don't know," he said sheepishly, lowering his head. "I just woke up thinking it. They've got to die and I've got to kill them."

My heart and face fell. "Oh my gosh…" Everyone turned to me. "It was a trap. A planned this from the start. First, he lied to the Yotsuba men, using their freedom as a cover. But all along he only wanted one thing. Revenge."

"Revenge for what?" Cinder growled. "What did you ever to do him?"

"I don't think it's just me," I said. "I think he blames all of us for his attempted suicide. L for causing the pressure. Beyond for hanging out with Hollow more instead of him. Cinder and I for forgetting him. As much as it's not our fault, he's brought himself to believe otherwise."

Light gritted his teeth. "What have I got to do with this? Why do this to me? Near and the Task Force members too?"

I stared into his eyes. No, more like his soul. Politely brushing Weddy's hands off my shoulders, I confronted Light. "You are Kira. A wants you dead so he can take your Death Note and rule the world. He knows you are Kira. I know you are Kira."

Suddenly, the exit doors automatically locked. An echo of slow clapping filled the room. A appeared at the top of the stairs. Everyone backed out from under them and moved to the center of the room.

"Marvelous job Wendy," A said with a devilish smirk. "You've proven yourself to be more than I expected. However, I'm quite sad it has to end this way."

Weddy grabbed onto Aiber's arm. Hollow held Beyond so he wouldn't go on a killing rampage. The rest of us scooted closer together.

"You must be the A I've heard so much about," Near spoke matching A's tone. He studied the black suit with red tie. "Shaken, not stirred."

A laughed. "I like this kid. Too bad he's ending up the same as you."

"Hey!" shouted Mello angrily. "Just leave us alone b****! Don't make me come up there!"

"Oh shut up Mihael Keehl," A retorted. Mello jolted at the sound of, I'm assuming, his real name. Matt clenched his fist. "Don't even think about it Mail Jeevas." Matt recoiled.

A's eyes fell on Cinder. "Oh, you poor dear. Sorry I had to turn your beloved into a ravenous killer again. Truth be told, he deserved it." Beyond's eyes grew sad as he glanced at Cinder.

She clenched a fist and gritted her teeth. "He did not deserve that and you know it. Stop hurting us just because you were too weak to live." Ouch.

A frowned and leaned over the staircase railing. "Shut up Crystal!" he snapped loudly. Lowering his voice, he cleared his throat. "You're one to talk. Did you ever tell Wendy what you did to yourself for two weeks when we lived at Wammy's?"

Cinder unclenched her fists and looked at me with regretful eyes. "What?" I asked. She lowered her head, too ashamed to answer.

A smirked. "Of course you didn't. Well, Wendy, did you know that Crystal here had a little thing with razor blades for a couple of weeks?"

I stared at my friend in shock. "Y-You cut yourself?"

"Yes, she did," A answered for her. "It was the first couple of weeks she came to the orphanage. I caught her, but she forced me not to tell anyone. I guess now the cat's out of the bag."

Cinder finally met me in the eyes. "I stopped though. I stopped because I met you and Beyond." I gave a sad smile letting her know I didn't hate her.

A sighed with boredom and turned to Light. "Ah, Light Yagami. Did you know that Yagami is 'Imagay' backwards? That would explain a couple things…" A glanced between Light and Hollow.

I closed my eyes and stepped forward. "A, just take me and let them go. Get your revenge on me and don't hurt them. Just get it over with already."

"I can't do that Wendy," A replied sadly. "If I do that, you won't be able to witness my master plan." I stepped back into my group. His eyes swarmed our crowd in the middle. Looking at Weddy and Aiber he said, "Merrie Kenwood and Tierry Morello."

They gasped in shock. Merrie and Tierry? Those were Weddy and Aiber's real names? "How did you know that?" Aiber asked in anger.

Ignoring them, A moved on. He moved past Mello and Matt and onto Near. "Hmm, Nate River. I like that name." Near's eyes widened a bit and he stood both motionless and emotionless. "Beyond Birthday, Crystal Clarke, Henry Haddock, Wendy White…" A's eyes rested above L's head.

Only then did it click that A had the eyes. "How did you get the eyes?" I questioned.

A smirked. "I made a deal." He held up a notebook. A Death Note. L immediately checked the table and realized Rem's notebook was still there. Rem stood behind us, observing.

"Who's notebook is…" Everyone gasped as Misa appeared behind A. She was wearing a long sleeve white shirt with a bow attached to the front, and a black skirt.

Her eyes lowered sadly. "This was the only way to save you," she said, tears welling up in her face. Then, she burst out crying and ran down the steps. Light actually thought she'd run to him, but instead she ran into Rem and hugged her tightly. "He said he'd threaten to kill me if I didn't give him the notebook forcing you to kill him then you'd turn to dust and-" Rem soothed Misa's crying.

A chuckled. "Ah, what a perfect ending." He returned his eyes to L and smirked. "L Lawliet. After all those years, I've finally found out your true name." L stared at A with burning eyes.

A took out a pen and opened the notebook. This was it. There was nothing we could do to stop him. I turned my gaze to Beyond. We stared at each other and I could see the rage in his eyes. Not for me, but for A. After all this time, A was the one who abandoned Beyond.

 **~3rd~**

Light looked at himself in disgust. Was this the man he came to be? No, he didn't want to be this man and he knew it, deep down. Kira was fading away.

Suddenly he felt something inside his coat pocket. Slowly, he reached inside it while A took out his pen. His fingers curved around the round object causing him to smile.

"Ryuk!" Light called out. The Shinigami appeared behind A even though he could not see. "Catch!" Light tossed the apple into mid-air.

Excited Ryuki went for it, knocking over A in the process. The Death Note and pen fell to the ground while A clung to the railing. Hollow let Beyond go. Beyond dived for the notebook, catching it in his hands.

"Winter!" Winter jolted as Beyond chucked it at her when A purposely let go and landed on Beyond with a hoof. She caught the notebook and ran to the far side of the room by the locked doors.

Beyond shoved A off him, then ran to join Cinder and the others. A faced off with Winter. "Give it to me Wendy."

Winter held her ground. "No A, I won't." The Wammy kids only knew A's first name. Just as A lunged for her, Mello dived at his feet and bit his ankles.

"Oww!" A jerked his leg away in fear and fell to the ground, clutching his fresh wound. Matt dragged Mello back to safety.

"Winter, write in the notebook!" everyone urged her. She had the pen. All she had to do was ask Misa for his name and he would be dead.

She didn't know what to do. Her heart said no but her mind said yes. Looking around, she stared at everyone yelling at her. Misa hung onto Rem while tears streamed down her face. Light wouldn't look at her directly in the eyes. L and Near kept their faces emotionless, but secretly wanted her to end it all. Matt and Mello were yelling at her to do it. Beyond was too, but Cinder smiled. _Listen to your heart you idiot._

So she did. Winter threw the pen and Death Note to Light Yagami.


	35. The End

**~Winter~**

I tossed the pen and Death Note to Light. Mello facepalmed and Beyond stared in disbelief. Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't kill A.

Light grabbed it, then backed away from everyone else. He was between me and the rest of them, but also facing A.

A, who was on the ground holding his ankle that Mello bit. A stared up at Light and smirked. "You can kill me, Alan Anderson, or you can help me. Together we can make this world a better place. I know you want to do that Light. You are Kira."

At that moment, I thought it was over. I thought I'd just doomed us all to an early death. I thought they'd hate me forever.

Light's face twitched. His eyes went back and forth from innocent to evil every second. His hands started shaking erratically. Eyes growing with anger, he stared at A. "I'm not Kira."

"Yes, you are," A replied.

"No, I'm not," Light said through gritted teeth.

"Light Yagami, you are Kira." A was gonna regret those words.

"I'M NOT KIRA!" The Death Note began to glow. Its pages illuminated light until it cracked. Then, the light shot into Light's face. He screamed and fell to the ground.

Ryuk, owner of the Death Note Light was holding, appeared in front of his twitching body on the floor. Everyone saw him now. He was a Shinigami. The one Light threw the apple to. I bet the same one that was with Light when he first started killing.

The glowing suddenly ceased and Light stopped yelling. The Death Note that was in Light's hands turned to ashes. Everyone was silent. Even A.

Ryuki sighed. "Well Light, we had some good times. Now that you've destroyed my notebook, I don't need to be here anymore." Ryuk flapped his wings and headed towards the ceiling. "Oh," he added before disappearing, "thanks for the apples!"

Light blinked up at the ceiling where Ryuk left and smiled. "I'm gonna miss him." I sighed with relief. The old Light was back, but he still had Kira's memories. Kira's urges within him were evaporated.

I helped Light up and smiled. "One less Death Note in this world."

A grunted as he tottered upright. In a quick motion, he grabbed a pen and Rem's notebook and began writing. My heart dropped as he kept writing names. When he was done, A smirked and displayed for us what he'd done.

Everyone leaned in to see he'd written all our names. We would die within less than a minute. Misa started crying when she saw her name. Rem watched in silence.

Why aren't you doing anything? I glanced at her suspiciously before L wrapped me in his arms for one last passionate kiss. Light and Hollow had a long hug while Cinder and Beyond gave each other a goodbye kiss. I patted Near on the head, as did Mello (awkwardly).

Weddy and Aiber calmly said their goodbyes in a proper manner, briefly nodding to everyone.

Time stopped as forty seconds went by. I waited for the pain, but it never came. We were still alive. Everyone looked at A. He frowned and examined the notebook. "What? I wrote all the names correctly, what went wrong?"

Near smirked and stepped forward. "What went wrong? You messed with my friends. Never mess with my friends." Near took out a receiver from behind him. "Did you get all that?"

Suddenly, the doors burst open and the Task Force swarmed in. Mr. Yagami and Aizawa tackled A and handcuffed him. "You're under arrest for the attempted murder of ten people. We are also charging you for the kidnapping of six people."

Aizawa smirked as he stared into A's hard eyes. "You know what will top it all off? You're also being charged with all of Kira's murders." A, Light, and I gasped.

"What?" Mello cursed. "But Light was Kira!"

We glanced at innocent Light, but ignored the protesting blonde who eventually gave it up. A was taken into custody and probably wouldn't live to see the light of day again.

Everyone who heard A reveal everyone's real names promised to keep it a secret. After A was arrested, we gave our goodbyes and thank yous to Weddy and Aiber as they left to most likely commit more crimes.

Near and L were praised for the capture of Kira. Misa Amane was bribed to keep silent about the entire thing. Her and Rem left the country to live alone in peace (and probably shop til they drop because we all know Misa can't go one day without the internet or a mall).

The Task Force left to file their paperwork. Cinder, Beyond, L, Hollow, Light, Matt, Mello, Near, and I were the only ones left in the main room.

Mello looked sadly at Matt. "Now what are we gonna do?" Matt shrugged and instantly took out a video game.

"You guys could be video game designers?" I suggested. "Make lots of money, create video games,..." They shrugged, but I knew they were thinking about it.

"Or we could join the mafia," Mello muttered. I rolled my eyes.

"Near," L said, turning to the white haired boy. "I chose you to be my successor." I did a mental backflip. "You have proven your impressive skills."

"Thank you L," Near said.

"Mello and Matt…" L turned to the two. "I've enjoyed working with you."

Matt and Mello soon left to discover themselves in Tokyo, but promised to send emails and postcards, and maybe chocolate. Near would return to Wammy's and continue with his short training. Then, whenever L wants to retire, he will take on L's title. But for now, the world will only know him as N.

Cinder, Beyond, Hollow, Light, L, and I shared glances at each other. "Now what?" Beyond asked annoyingly.

Everyone shrugged. "I assume that I'll finish college at To-Oh," Light said. "I'm still planning on becoming a detective."

That brought a smile to L's adorable face. "I hope to be working with you again someday."

I looked around this place. "I'm gonna miss it here," I said with a dreamy sigh. "What's gonna happen to it?"

L shrugged. "I guess I will give it to the NPA as a donation. They can use it as another office."

We formed a huddle and smiled at each other. "It's over," Light finally said. "Kira is officially gone and we're safe again. Life can be normal."

Cinder snorted. "What do we know about normal?" Everyone laughed with agreement. Normal isn't always for us, but sometimes it can be a good thing.

Then, we turned to the door and marched off into our new lives...

 **~Epilogue~**

Heh, turns out our new lives are oddly close to each other. Light moved out of his parents house and into his own apartment. Hollow moved into the apartment next to Light.

Beyond and Cinder combined their money and bought their own house together… Right across from Light and Hollow's apartment building. They also got a dog.

L and I (as if you weren't expecting this) bought a house together that was conveniently located right next to Cinder and Beyond's. We didn't get a dog, but I did get a kitten and named it Zaki. It's black and white.

Light continued on with his dream of being a detective and eventually became a rather successful one. All the girls admire him, but he always turns them down (I think he has someone special in his life but hasn't told us yet).

Hollow became a wealthy business men. He created his own company and can you guess who the first employee was? Shingo Mido. Yes, Hollow hired him. The company he runs is all about the future. It's not like Yotsuba. It's fair and honest, which is why it's so popular.

Beyond created his own jam company (how surprising) called "BB's Homemade Jam." Cinder was his first customer. Beyond's company ships packages of jam everywhere in Japan so it's a good business.

Cinder… of all the people you'd expect to become a teacher… Well, sort of a teacher. She is a school counselor that helps kids when they aren't feeling so good about themselves. I don't know how many stories she's told about our past adventures.

I know what you're thinking. That I transferred my detective job from England to Japan and continued on as a detective. Well, I didn't. I found that to be too boring. Instead, I kept my "job" as Director of Sakura TV. I had a bit more training though (one whole year of it) and soon I was back on top. I replaced Demegawa when he retired.

L Lawliet is still a detective. He loves that job from the bottom of his heart; he's told me so. He said it's entertaining and that serving justice is always a fun challenge. I hope he never gives it up.

I guess that's how our story ends. At least the most crazy and insane part though. Oh, and if ya'll wanna know, I did marry L and Cinder did marry Beyond. I'm gonna leave it up to you to infer who married Light… Heh, good luck.

 **W.W**

With a fulfilled sigh, I closed the notebook and set it on my desk. A tranquil peace filled the air. L came in and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Did you finally finish that book?"

"Yep," I replied, taking off my reading glasses. "I poured my heart and soul into it. You'd better like it." He smirked and rested his chin on my head.

"They're waiting for us," he finally whispered. Kissing me on the neck, he pulled me off the chair and out of our room. I filled Zaki's bowls and grabbed my new overcoat. It wasn't black anymore. I'd bought a blue one instead. Blue like the sky.

Outside, Hollow, Light, Cinder, and Beyond paced around waiting for us. L and I approached with a smile. Cinder groaned. "Took you long enough."

I rolled my eyes. Slipping my hand in L's, the six of us strolled down the sidewalk. "What's on today's agenda?" I asked.

"Does everything have to be planned out?" whined Beyond. "Can't you just, you know, go with the flow? Let's wing it, see where that takes us."

I sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright. Let our feet aimlessly lead the way. Lead the way into a river," I muttered the last part under my breath. L squeezed my hand.

"I hear they've built a new roller skating rink uptown," Light suggested. "Why not go there."

"Yeah, sounds fun," Hollow agreed.

"Alright!" Cinder cheered. "Let's go embarrass some teenagers!" If you didn't know, we weren't teens anymore. Though we were still as lively.

Beyond smirked. "Don't forget to stop at my store, too, and buy some jam. For snacks."

"Jam for snacks?" I asked, scrunching my nose.

Light laughed. "Why not? We've already had it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This should be fun." We laughed casually and headed uptown.

"Watch out for the mafia," L reminded us teasingly. "Mello has still got a grudge on us for eating all his chocolate."

Cinder snorted lightly. "Not my fault. He left it entirely unattended!" What she didn't mention was that there was a note on it saying " _Mello's chocolate. DON't EAT! (especially you Cinder)._

"After that we should go to the zoo," Hollow chimed in.

"Why?" Cinder wondered.

He smirked. "I hear they've got a new snake exhibit where you can actually _touch_ the snakes. They've even got a python…" He wiggled his hands in front of her while Beyond made his fingers crawl up her spine.

"Cut it out" she snapped at them, swatting their hands away like flies. They laughed, and Light tossed a fake snake in her face that he held in his pocket. "Ah!" She screamed and hit it away. Everyone erupted with laughter.

I rolled back my head in laughter, and spotted something in the sky. At first I thought it was another notebook and almost went into a panic attack, but then it got closer.

A creature a good ways away flew across the sky. It had vast, black furry wings. Its dark hair was spiked high. Its face was pale white, but painted with a devious smile. Luckily, it didn't have a Death Note, but it did have one thing.

In its hands was an apple.

 **THE END**


End file.
